Intrinsic network dynamics catalyze switching in functional connectivity states of the brain

Abstract

Dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) reflects ongoing reconfiguration of large-scale brain networks, but the temporal organization and network processes underlying spontaneous state transitions remain poorly understood. We developed functional connectivity state switching (FCSS), a phase-coherence-based framework that tracks multiscale changes in dominant whole-brain connectivity configurations. In Human Connectome Project fMRI, FCSS was strongly evoked by cognitive state and condition switches, and distinct transition dynamics differentially predicted working-memory performance. During rest, spontaneous FCSS was characterized by progressive changes in network segregation, integration, and cross-network communication as connectivity approached a switching event. Critically, event-related analysis time-locked to spontaneous FCSS revealed opposing pre-switch dynamics: salience-network contribution increased while default-mode-network contribution decreased, suggesting coordinated engagement and disengagement of these networks before switching. This reciprocal reweighting may provide a network-level mechanism for spontaneous FC reconfiguration. Together, these findings identify both global reorganization and network-specific processes underlying spontaneous and task-evoked brain-state transitions in the human brain.