Spatial and temporal correlations in human cortex are inherently linked and predicted by functional hierarchy, vigilance state as well as antiepileptic drug load

The ability of neural circuits to integrate information over time and across different cortical areas is believed an essential ingredient for information processing in the brain. Temporal and spatial correlations in cortex dynamics have independently been shown to capture these integration properties in task-dependent ways. A fundamental question remains if temporal and spatial integration properties are linked and what internal and external factors shape these correlations. Previous research on spatio-temporal correlations has been limited in duration and coverage, thus providing only an incomplete picture of their interdependence and variability. Here, we use long-term invasive EEG data to comprehensively map temporal and spatial correlations according to cortical topography, vigilance state and drug dependence over extended periods of time. We show that temporal and spatial correlations in cortical networks are intimately linked, decline under antiepileptic drug action, and break down during slow-wave sleep. Further, we report temporal correlations in human electrophysiology signals to increase with the functional hierarchy in cortex. Systematic investigation of a neural network model suggests that these dynamical features may arise when dynamics are poised near a critical point. Our results provide mechanistic and functional links between specific measurable changes in the network dynamics relevant for characterizing the brain’s changing information processing capabilities.Author summary: A growing body of research suggests spatial and temporal correlations, which capture the propagation of information in space and time, to be useful characterizations of information processing in the human brain. The criticality hypothesis, the hypothesis that networks in the brain reside in the vicinity of a phase transition, posits that spatial and temporal correlations are intimately linked and maximized near the critical point. Previous research has predominantly focused on spatial and temporal correlations independently and was often restricted in duration, thus limiting our knowledge whether spatial and temporal correlations indeed co-vary and what other factors influence these information integration properties in general. Here, we use long-term invasive EEG data to comprehensively map temporal and spatial correlations according to cortical topography, vigilance state, and drug dependence over extended periods of time. We show that temporal and spatial correlations in cortical networks are strongly linked, decline under antiepileptic drug action, and completely break down during slow-wave sleep. We provide direct electrophysical evidence that temporal correlations follow a gradient which aligns with the functional hierarchy. Systematic investigation alongside a companion neural network model suggests that these findings may arise due to dynamics being poised near a critical point.