Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity As a Transdiagnostic Biomarker of Cognitive Function.
Vaibhav Tripathi, Ishaan Batta, Andre Zamani, Daniel A Atad, Sneha K S Sheth, Jiahe Zhang, Tor D Wager, Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli, Lucina Q. Uddin, Ruchika S Prakash, Clemens C C Bauer
Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.12.016 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation Default mode network |
| Keywords | Attention Brain networks Functional connectivity Mental health Resting-State FMRI |
| Citations | 23 |
| Key findings | DMN connectivity metrics show promise as biomarkers of cognitive state and trait-level deviations in aging and clinical conditions, but reliability concerns remain. |
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) is intricately linked with processes such as self-referential thinking, episodic memory recall, goal-directed cognition, self-projection, and theory of mind. In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of studies examining its functional connectivity, particularly its relationship with frontoparietal networks involved in top-down attention, executive function, and cognitive control. The fluidity in switching between these internal and external modes of processing, which is highlighted by anticorrelated functional connectivity, has been proposed as an indicator of cognitive health. Due to the ease of estimation of functional connectivity-based measures through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigms, there is now a wealth of large-scale datasets, paving the way for standardized connectivity benchmarks. In this review, we explore the promising role of DMN connectivity metrics as potential biomarkers of cognitive state across attention, internal mentation, mind wandering, and meditation states and investigate deviations in trait-level measures across aging and in clinical conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and others. We also tackle the issue of reliability of network estimation and functional connectivity and share recommendations for using functional connectivity measures as a biomarker of cognitive health.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Brain's Default Mode Network | 2015 | Review | |
| Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology | 2012 | Review | |
| 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis | 2023 | Review | |
| On the relationship between the “default mode network” and the “social brain” | 2012 | Review | |
| The default mode network and social understanding of others: what do brain connectivity studies tell us Healthy subjects, with some studies on patients with autism and psychopathy | 2014 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Dynamic functional connectivity signatures of focused attention on the breath in adolescents. Cerebral Cortex February 5, 2025
- Phenomenology of the stream of thought: dissociable dynamic dimensions revealed through experience sampling. Neuroscience of Consciousness 2026
- When attention falters: Brain, breathing, and behavioral signals of lapses in interoceptive attention. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience June 23, 2026
- Unlocking deep relaxation: the power of rhythmic breathing on brain rhythms. npj Mental Health Research August 23, 2025
Cites 42
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 26, 2009
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Human Brain Mapping January 24, 2008
and 37 more in the library