Brain Microstate Dynamics of Maladaptive and Ruminative Thought

A significant gap in understanding the functional significance of resting-state brain activity regards uncertainty whether endogenous activity primarily reflects trait-like differences in the structure and functioning of individuals’ brains or varies systematically according to one’s current mental state and the contents of ongoing thought. Developmental and psychological health-related factors may therefore predict differences in intrinsic brain activity because these associations are mediated through the occurrence of maladaptive or disordered patterns of thinking occurring during the resting-state recording. Individuals struggling with anxiety or depression, for example, may be more likely to have thoughts that are negative in valence, ruminate about past concerns, or worry about real or imagined events in the future while their mind wanders. In turn, these patterns of thinking may be responsible for observed differences in the activity and functional connectivity of brain networks during periods of rest. The present proposal aims to clarify links between maladaptive, clinically relevant patterns of thinking and the millisecond temporal dynamics of large-scale brain networks through the segmentation of electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings into topographically defined brain electric microstates.