A Correspondence between Individual Differences in the Brain's Intrinsic Functional Architecture and the Content and Form of Self-Generated Thoughts
PLoS One May 13, 2014 Krzysztof J. Gorgolewski, Daniel J. Lurie, Sebastian Urchs et al. 180 citations
Self-generated thoughts—such as daydreaming or mind-wandering—are linked to distinct patterns of spontaneous brain activity. Using the New York Cognition Questionnaire (NYC-Q) and resting-state fMRI data from the Nathan Kline Rockland Enhanced sample, researchers found that thoughts cluster into dimensions of content (future-related, past-related, positive, negative, social) and form (words, images, specificity). Individuals who reported more imagery showed greater low-frequency fluctuations in perigenual cingulate cortex, part of the default-mode network. Those with more future-oriented thoughts showed less homogeneous neural fluctuations in lateral occipital cortex, suggesting decoupling from sensory processing. Self-generated thought is a heterogeneous category, and studying its content helps understand brain dynamics.