Logo image
Frontoparietal control-default mode connectivity predicts TMS effects on cognitive control
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Frontoparietal control-default mode connectivity predicts TMS effects on cognitive control

Brian Kim and John D. Medaglia
Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.), v 4, 1298
14 Jul 2026
PMID: 42459500
url
https://doi.org/10.1162/IMAG.a.1298View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Life Sciences & Biomedicine Neurosciences Neurosciences & Neurology Science & Technology Neuroimaging
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a promising tool to probe and enhance cognitive control, yet effects are often inconsistent across individuals. These inconsistencies may arise from individual differences in Lateral Frontoparietal (Control) Network (L-FPN) and Medial Frontoparietal (Default) Network (M-FPN) interactions, essential for suppressing internal distraction and facilitating cognitive control. We tested whether baseline connectivity between the L-FPN and M-FPN moderates TMS outcomes in cognitive control tasks. We used the generalized drift rate as a task-general behavioral index of cognitive control, as it overcomes the reliability and interpretability limitations of standard difference measures. Participants completed inhibition (Stroop), working memory (n-back), and flexibility (Navon) tasks before and after intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) to the L-FPN, dorsal frontoparietal (attention) network (D-FPN), or cranial vertex. Stimulation targets were defined using individualized resting-state parcellations to maximize precision. We found that baseline connectivity moderated stimulation outcomes: individuals with more integrated L-FPN/M-FPN networks benefited most from L-FPN stimulation, whereas those with more segregated networks showed greater improvements from D-FPN stimulation. Notably, stimulation of a single site did not uniformly enhance performance, underscoring the importance of individual network profiles. These findings highlight L-FPN/M-FPN interactions as a basis for individualized TMS interventions and the utility of combining precise network mapping with robust behavioral modeling to optimize neuromodulation interventions.

Metrics

1 Record Views

Details

Logo image