Neuron
May 10, 2023
Vinod Menon
832 citations
The default mode network (DMN) integrates memory, language, and semantic representations to create a coherent internal narrative that reflects individual experiences. This narrative is central to constructing a sense of self, shapes self-perception and social interaction, may originate in childhood self-directed speech, and forms a vital component of human consciousness. The review traces the DMN's discovery, its roles in self-reference, social cognition, episodic and autobiographical memory, language, semantic memory, and mind wandering, and proposes new perspectives on its function in human cognition.
Neuroimage
April 11, 2010
Kaustubh Supekar, Lucina Q. Uddin, Katherine E. Prater et al.
548 citations
The default-mode network (DMN) undergoes significant developmental changes in functional and structural connectivity from childhood to adulthood, but these changes are not uniform across all DMN nodes. The connection between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) along the cingulum bundle is the most immature link in children. Structural connectivity between PCC and left medial temporal lobe is weak or non-existent in children, yet functional connectivity does not differ from adults. Gray matter volume differences and macrostructural and microstructural differences in the dorsal cingulum bundle also appear. Maturation of PCC-mPFC structural connectivity likely supports self-related and social-cognitive functions emerging during adolescence.
The Behavioral and brain sciences
March 23, 2022
Sarah L Eagleman, David M Eagleman, Vinod Menon et al.
A commentary on critiques of the integrated information theory of consciousness acknowledges that some arguments have merit but argues that discarding the theory entirely is premature. The authors expect advances in the empirical study of consciousness in coming years and assert that theories should be ruled in or out only after independent testing with shared data. They propose future research directions.
Trang-Anh E. Nghiem, Vinod Menon
preprint
Stimulating the insula node of the salience network suppresses default mode network (DMN) activity in computational simulations, while cingulate cortex stimulation enhances retrosplenial cortex activity. Prelimbic cortex stimulation partially replicates insula-mediated suppression but fails to suppress cingulate regions, suggesting it acts as a functional bridge between networks. DMN emergence as a functionally segregated network is robust across wide ranges of excitatory-inhibitory balance and cholinergic modulation, but outside these boundaries, integrity breaks down through three failure modes: loss of responsiveness, reversal of suppression to enhancement, and network fragmentation.
Vinod Menon, Domenic Cerri, Byeongwook Lee et al.
preprint
Stimulating neurons in the anterior insular cortex of rats suppresses activity in the default mode network and reduces functional connectivity between the salience network and default mode network, as well as within the default mode network itself. The findings demonstrate a causal role for anterior insular cortex neurons in dynamically suppressing and decoupling the default mode network, revealing previously unknown features of rodent brain network organization and advancing understanding of cross-network interactions and brain network switching.