Activation and Dynamic Connectivity Modulations of the Brain's Intrinsic Networks During Visuomotor, Response Control, and Working Memory Processes

Large-scale intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) flexibly reconfigure in response to changing task demands, enabling adaptive cognitive functions. The study aimed to determine whether ICNs exhibit selective, task-sensitive reorganization across different cognitive domains, rather than uniform shifts in network architecture. For this purpose, we examined how ICNs reorganize during visuomotor integration, response control, and working memory domains, which are expected to engage different network configurations. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 28 healthy adults performing tasks targeting these domains. Using group-level independent component analysis (ICA), we identified ICNs and assessed their intrinsic activity and task-modulated dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC), estimated via sliding-window correlations and multiple regression modeling. Results revealed domain-specific yet partially overlapping reconfiguration profiles. The frontoparietal network demonstrated selective increases in connectivity with the dorsal attention network during working memory and with the ventral attention network during response inhibition, supporting its role as a flexible hub. The default mode and limbic networks showed progressive intrinsic deactivation with increasing working memory load, along with distinct intra- and inter-network connectivity changes. The basal ganglia displayed domain-general engagement by interacting with default mode, attentional, and sensory networks across task conditions. Even the visual and somatomotor networks were dynamically engaged depending on task context. These findings support the view that adaptive cognition arises from selective and domain-dependent ICN reconfiguration rather than global connectivity shifts. Methodologically, the combined ICA and dFNC framework enabled a comprehensive assessment of both network activation and connectivity, offering a refined window into the functional architecture of flexible brain organization.