Dynamic large-scale connectivity of intrinsic cortical oscillations supports adaptive listening in challenging conditions

Abstract In multi-talker situations individuals adapt behaviorally to the listening challenge mostly with ease, but how do brain neural networks shape this adaptation? We here establish a long-sought link between large-scale neural communications in electrophysiology and behavioral success in the control of attention in difficult listening situations. In an age-varying sample of N = 154 individuals, we find that connectivity between intrinsic neural oscillations extracted from source-reconstructed electroencephalography is regulated according to the listener’s goal during a challenging dual­ talker task. These dynamics occur as spatially organized modulations in power-envelope correlations of alpha and low-beta neural oscillations during ~2 seconds intervals most critical for listening behavior relative to resting-state baseline. First, left frontoparietal low-beta connectivity (16-24 Hz) increased during anticipation and processing of spatial-attention cue before speech presentation. Second, posterior alpha connectivity (7-11 Hz) decreased during comprehension of competing speech, particularly around target-word presentation. Connectivity dynamics of these networks were predictive of individual differences in the speed and accuracy of target-word identification, respectively, but proved unconfounded by changes in neural oscillatory activity strength. Successful adaptation to a listening challenge thus latches onto two distinct yet complementary neural systems: a beta-tuned frontoparietal network enabling the flexible adaptation to attentive listening state and an alpha-tuned posterior network supporting attention to speech. Significance Statement Attending to relevant information during listening is key to human communication. How does this adaptive behavior rely upon neural communications? We here follow up on the long-standing conjecture that, large-scale brain network dynamics constrain our successful adaptation to cognitive challenges. We provide evidence in support of two intrinsic, frequency-specific neural networks that underlie distinct behavioral aspects of successful listening: a beta-tuned frontoparietal network enabling the flexible adaptation to attentive listening state, and an alpha-tuned posterior cortical network supporting attention to speech. These findings shed light on how large-scale neural communication dynamics underlie attentive listening and open new opportunities for brain network-based intervention in hearing loss and its neurocognitive consequences.