Spontaneous Brain Activity in the Default Mode Network Is Sensitive to Different Resting-State Conditions with Limited Cognitive Load
PLoS One May 28, 2009 Chao‐gan Yan, Dongqiang Liu, Yong He et al. 315 citations
The default mode network (DMN), a set of brain regions active at rest, shows higher functional connectivity and stronger low-frequency fluctuations when people keep their eyes open (with or without a fixation point) than when they keep them closed. Although the overall connectivity patterns look similar across conditions, statistical comparisons reveal these differences. An order effect also appears: two eyes-closed sessions differ from each other. These findings suggest that having eyes open during rest may involve more non-specific visual gathering, evaluation, and mind wandering, and that researchers should carefully choose and order resting-state conditions in experimental designs.