Brain network dynamics in the wake-sleep transition reorganize according to task engagement.

Overview

1. Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
2. Section on Functional Imaging Methods, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
3. Department of Medical Neurobiology and Department of Cognitive and Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
4. Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
5. School of Psychology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
6. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires and Physics Department, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
7. Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom

Abstract

Alertness fluctuations and cognitive processing comprise overlapping brain circuits that include frontoparietal, thalamocortical, and sensory pathways. It is unclear how these brain circuits can simultaneously support such disparate but foundational human processes. To develop an integrated framework of consciousness and cognition, it is important to understand how fluctuations in alertness and cognitive processing interact in their shared circuits. In this electroencephalography (EEG)-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we assessed individuals who fluctuated between alert and drowsy states while engaged in either an active or passive auditory task. We hypothesized that during periods of low alertness, individuals who actively maintain task engagement would recruit additional frontoparietal and sensory processing networks, while thalamocortical dynamics that typically change during sleep onset would remain unaffected. We found that when alertness decreased, passively listening to auditory tones led to increased synchronization primarily in the parietal lobe, whereas actively performing an auditory task resulted in increased long-range frontoparietal synchronization. During decreasing alertness, passive listening (but not active task engagement) was associated with widespread increased synchronization between the thalamus and cortex. In contrast, active task engagement (but not passive listening) led to increased synchronization between the auditory cortex and the rest of the brain. These results suggest the brain’s capacity for flexible functional reorganization when alertness levels decline but cognitive processes persist. The brain patterns that support transitions of consciousness at sleep onset also reflect ongoing cognitive task demands.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

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Version 1, 27 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, pages, dates, 9 authors, 5 keywords, 16 MeSH terms, 1 funder, 91 references.

Cite

This paper

Kumar, S. S., Arzi, A., Bareham, C. A., Gonzalez-Castillo, J., Fernandez, I., Tagliazucchi, E., Mediano, P. A., Bandettini, P. A., & Bekinschtein, T. A. (2026). Brain network dynamics in the wake-sleep transition reorganize according to task engagement. Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.), 4, IMAG.a.1336. https://doi.org/10.1162/imag.a.1336

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