Investigating the dynamic role of fluctuations in ongoing activity in the human brain

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• General introduction
• Spontaneous and evoked activity
• The study of spontaneous activity
• Electrophysiological research of ongoing activity
• Cortical states and response variability
• Predictive coding and predictive timing
• Neuroimaging research of ongoing activity
• Resting state fluctuations
• Vascular basis
• Neural basis
• Functional networks
• The functional role of spontaneous activity
• Perceptual domain
• Motor domain
• Cognitive domain
• Conclusions
• This thesis

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation investigates the dynamic role of spontaneous neural activity in the human brain, focusing on its contribution to contextual changes. It explores the nature of ongoing activity from two perspectives: how learning affects ongoing activity and the predictive role of prestimulus activity. The dissertation also examines the relationship between ongoing activity, individual differences, and mind-wandering.

• The functional role of spontaneous neural activity in the human brain
• The impact of learning on ongoing activity
• The predictive role of prestimulus activity
• The relationship between ongoing activity and individual differences
• The relationship between ongoing activity and mind-wandering

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to the topic of spontaneous neural activity, contrasting it with evoked activity. It explores the history and methods of studying spontaneous activity, including electrophysiological and neuroimaging approaches. The chapter also examines the functional role of spontaneous activity in various domains, including perception, motor control, and cognition.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Spontaneous neural activity, evoked activity, learning, prestimulus activity, individual differences, mind-wandering, electrophysiology, neuroimaging, functional networks, predictive coding, resting state fluctuations.