Name: Dolly Seeburger
Dissertation Defense Meeting
Date: Thursday, July 10th, 2025
Time: 11am Eastern Time
Location: Room 148 JS Coon 
Virtual: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/92641395683
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Dissertation Chair/Advisor:
Randall Engle, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Dissertation Committee Members:
Shella Keilholz, Ph.D. (Emory University/Georgia Tech)
Mark Wheeler, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)
Thackery Brown, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)
Dobromir Rahnev, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Title: Brain Networks Underlying Individual Differences in Attention Control

Abstract:
Attention control as a trait variable is a crucial cognitive ability correlated with a range of important life outcomes. However, the underlying individual differences in the brain mechanisms of attention control have not been explored in a large-scale study. I will present the results from my study (N=191), in which we investigated where in the brain, trait-level attention control is embedded, and how it interacts with state-level fluctuations during cognitive demand. Using the quasi-periodic pattern analysis, we found that individuals with higher attention control demonstrated more pronounced fronto-parietal control network (FPCN) and the default mode network segregation, stronger FPCN and dorsal attention network coupling, and greater FPCN and the locus coeruleus coordination, especially under heightened cognitive demand. Notably, we also observed meaningful differences during resting-state scans, underscoring the trait-like consistency of these neural patterns.