A partially nested cortical hierarchy of neural states underlies event segmentation in the human brain

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.77430
• Publication Date: 2022-09-16T10:00:33Z
• Authors: Linda Geerligs; Dora Gözükara; Djamari Oetringer; Karen L Campbell; Marcel van Gerven; Umut Güçlü
• Keywords: functional networks; Brain Mapping; QH301-705.5; Science; fMRI; Q; 05 social sciences; R; Brain; 180 000 Predictive Brain; Cognitive artificial intelligence; hierarchy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; event segmentation; naturalistic viewing; timescales; Medicine; Humans; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences; Biology (General); Neuroscience

A fundamental aspect of human experience is that it segmented into discrete events. This may be underpinned by transitions between distinct neural states. Using an innovative data-driven state segmentation method, we investigate how states are organized across the cortical hierarchy and where in cortex boundaries perceived event overlap. Our results show a temporal hierarchy, with short primary sensory regions, long lateral medial prefrontal cortex. State shared within groups brain regions resemble well-known functional networks. Perceived overlap large parts particularly when those demarcate strong transition or regions. Taken together, these findings suggest partially nested forms basis segmentation.