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Brain areas activated in fMRI during self-regulation of slow cortical potentials (SCPs)

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Abstract

In humans, surface-negative slow cortical potentials (SCPs) originating in the apical dendritic layers of the neocortex reflect synchronized depolarization of large groups of neuronal assemblies. They are recorded during states of behavioural or cognitive preparation and during motivational states of apprehension and fear. Surface positive SCPs are thought to indicate reduction of cortical excitation of the underlying neural networks and appear during behavioural inhibition and motivational inertia (e.g. satiety). SCPs at the cortical surface constitute summated population activity of local field potentials (LFPs). SCPs and LFPs may share identical neural substrates. In this study the relationship between negative and positive SCPs and changes in the BOLD signal of the fMRI were examined in ten subjects who were trained to successfully self-regulate their SCPs. FMRI revealed that the generation of negativity (increased cortical excitation) was accompanied by widespread activation in central, pre-frontal, and parietal brain regions as well as the basal ganglia. Positivity (decreased cortical excitation) was associated with widespread deactivations in several cortical sites as well as some activation, primarily in frontal and parietal structures as well as insula and putamen. Regression analyses revealed that cortical positivity was predicted with high accuracy by pallidum and putamen activation and supplementary motor area (SMA) and motor cortex deactivation, while differentiation between cortical negativity and positivity was revealed primarily in parahippocampal regions. These data suggest that negative and positive electrocortical potential shifts in the EEG are related to distinct differences in cerebral activation detected by fMRI and support animal studies showing parallel activations in fMRI and neuroelectric recordings.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Sandra Marjanovic for her help with the training of the subjects. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). We appreciate the critical comments made by one anonymous reviewer, comments that allow a more thorough interpretation of the reported results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Gartenstrasse 29, 72074 , Tübingen, Germany

    Thilo Hinterberger, Ralf Veit, Ute Strehl, Boris Kotchoubey & Niels Birbaumer

  2. Centre of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Trento, via Belenzani, 1238100, Trento, Italy

    Niels Birbaumer

  3. Department of Psychology, Chaminade University, 3140 Waialea Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816, USA

    Tracy Trevorrow

  4. Section of Experimental Magnetic Resonance of the CNS, Department of Neuroradiology , University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Michael Erb

  5. Department of Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Heidelberg, Central Institute of Mental Health, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany

    Herta Flor

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  1. Thilo Hinterberger
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  2. Ralf Veit
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  3. Ute Strehl
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  6. Boris Kotchoubey
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  8. Niels Birbaumer
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Correspondence to Niels Birbaumer.

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Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

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Hinterberger, T., Veit, R., Strehl, U. et al. Brain areas activated in fMRI during self-regulation of slow cortical potentials (SCPs). Exp Brain Res 152, 113–122 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-003-1515-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-003-1515-4

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