Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 228, 2381-2389 (2019)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2019-900077-7

Regular Article

Dynamics of functional connectivity in multilayer cortical brain network during sensory information processing

¹ Neuroscience and Cognitive Technology Laboratory, Innopolis University, Innopolis, The Republic of Tatarstan, Russia
² Faculty of Computer Science, Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia
³ Center for Biomedical Technology, Technical University of Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Spain

^a e-mail: a.hramov@innopolis.ru

Received: 30 March 2019
Received in final form: 20 June 2019
Published online: 28 October 2019

Abstract

Topology of a functional brain multilayer network is dynamically adjusted to provide optimal performance during accomplishing cognitive tasks, including sensory information processing. Functional connectivity between brain regions is achieved in terms of correlation or synchronization inference in recorded signals of neuronal activity. The promising approach for studying cortical network structure implies considering functional interactions in different frequency bands on the different layers of multilayer network model. Links between these layers can be restored based on cross-frequency couplings. While the topology of functional connectivity within each layer can be effectively restored from registered neurophysiological signals, mechanisms underlying coupling between different layers remain poorly understood. Here we consider evolution of the cortical network topology in alpha and beta frequency bands during visual stimuli processing. For each frequency band the functional connectivity between different brain regions is estimated by comparing Fourier spectra of EEG signals. The obtained functional topologies are considered as the layers of two-layer network. In the framework of a multilayer model we analyze evolution of functional network topology on both layers and reveal features of intralayer interaction underlying visual information processing in the brain.