Brain Dynamics of Mental Manipulation

Quiroga-Martinez, D. R.; He, T.; Fernandez-Rubio, G.; Bonetti, L.; Blenkmann, A. O.; Endestad, T.; Solbakk, A.-K.; Meling, T. R.; Fabricius, M. E.; McManus, O. K.; Willie, J. T.; Brunner, P.; Dastjerdi, M.; Lin, J.; Knight, R.

doi:10.1101/2025.10.20.683458

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.10.20.683458

Brain Dynamics of Mental Manipulation

Quiroga-Martinez, D. R.·He, T.·Fernandez-Rubio, G.·Bonetti, L.·Blenkmann, A. O.·Endestad, T.·Solbakk, A.-K.·Meling, T. R.·Fabricius, M. E.·McManus, O. K.·Willie, J. T.·Brunner, P.·Dastjerdi, M.·Lin, J.·Knight, R.

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Abstract

Humans effortlessly juggle their internal thoughts, but the neuronal dynamics that support mental manipulation are largely unknown. Leveraging the high spatiotemporal fidelity of intracranial recordings in humans (N = 30), we provide evidence that mental sound manipulation involves the inhibition of sensory cortex and the coordinated engagement of memory and control networks. This modulation manifests in two ways. First, there is a shift in the balance between faster (> 30 Hz) and slower (< 30 Hz) dynamics in primary and secondary auditory areas, suggesting a decrease in local excitability. Second, there is a distributed increase in oscillatory synchrony (6-10 Hz), which predicts imagery vividness and task performance. This evidence points to a key role of local excitability and inter-areal synchrony in the manipulation of thought.

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Quiroga-Martinez, D. R., He, T., Fernandez-Rubio, G., Bonetti, L., Blenkmann, A. O., Endestad, T., Solbakk, A.-K., Meling, T. R., Fabricius, M. E., McManus, O. K., Willie, J. T., Brunner, P., Dastjerdi, M., Lin, J., Knight, R.. 2025-10-21. Brain Dynamics of Mental Manipulation. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.20.683458

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