Functional Connectivity of the Scene Processing Network at Rest Does Not Reliably Predict Human Behavior on Scene Processing Tasks.

Abstract

The perception of scenes is associated with processing in a network of scene-selective regions in the human brain. Prior research has identified a posterior-anterior bias within this network. Posterior scene regions exhibit preferential connectivity with early visual and posterior parietal regions, indicating a role in representing egocentric visual features. In contrast, anterior scene regions demonstrate stronger connectivity with frontoparietal control and default mode networks, suggesting a role in mnemonic processing of locations. Despite these findings, evidence linking connectivity in these regions to cognitive scene processing remains limited. In this preregistered study, we obtained cognitive behavioral measures alongside resting-state fMRI data from a large-scale public dataset to investigate interindividual variation in scene processing abilities relative to the functional connectivity of the scene network. Our results revealed substantial individual differences in scene recognition, spatial memory, and navigational abilities. Resting-state functional connectivity reproduced the posterior-anterior bias within the scene network. However, contrary to our preregistered hypothesis, we did not observe any consistent associations between interindividual variation in this connectivity and behavioral performance. These findings highlight the need for further research to clarify the role of these connections in scene processing, potentially through assessments of functional connectivity during scene-relevant tasks or in naturalistic conditions.