The default mode network (DMN) has been central to cognitive neuroscience research for over two decades, yet understanding of its contribution to decision-making remains incomplete. This review synthesizes recent evidence demonstrating that the DMN directly supports subjective valuation and value-based decision-making. Anatomically and functionally, core DMN regions-including the ventromedial...
Individuals vary substantially in their responses to rewarding events and their motivation to pursue rewards. While the ventral striatum (VS) plays a central role in reward anticipation, its functional connectivity with the default mode network (DMN)-critical for self-referential processing and value integration-potentially represents a key mechanism through which trait differences manifest in...