Large-scale functional connectivity in multisensory cortex predicts performance

Complex behavior requires fast changes of functional connectivity in large-scale cortical networks. Here, we report on the dynamics of functional coupling across visual, auditory and parietal areas during a lateralized detection task in the ferret. We hypothesized that fluctuations in coupling, indicative of dynamic variations in the network state, should be predictive of the animals performance. Analysis of power for hit and miss trials revealed significant differences around stimulus- and response-onset. In contrast, phase coupling already differed between hits and misses before stimulus onset, indicating fluctuations in large-scale network connectivity. In particular, higher phase coupling of visual and auditory regions to parietal cortex was predictive of task performance. Furthermore, we observed that long-range coupling became more predominant during the task period compared to the pre-stimulus baseline. Taken together, these results suggest that fluctuations in the network state, particular with respect to long-range connectivity, are critical determinants of the animals behavior.