Modulation of Posterior Default Mode Network Activity During Interoceptive Attention and Relation to Mindfulness.
Dhakshin Ramanathan, Jason Nan, Gillian Grennan, Satish Jaiswal, Suzanna R Purpura, James K Manchanda, Vojislav Maric, Pragathi Priyadharsini Balasubramani, Jyoti Mishra
Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100384 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 324 |
| Population | Individuals across the life span (15-91 years of age) |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Attention Breathing EEG Interoception |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | Consistency of response times on a breath-monitoring task is positively correlated with attentive performance on an exteroceptive inhibitory control task, and low consistency is associated with elevated posterior default mode network alpha activity, which is linked to lower subjective mindfulness. |
Abstract
Interoceptive attention to internal sensory signals, such as the breath, is fundamental to mindfulness. However, interoceptive attention can be difficult to study, with many studies relying on subjective and retrospective measures. Response consistency is an established method for evaluating variability of attention on exteroceptive attention tasks, but it has rarely been applied to interoceptive attention tasks. In this study, we measured consistency of response times on a breath-monitoring task with simultaneous electroencephalography in individuals across the life span (15-91 years of age, N = 324). We found that consistency on the breath-monitoring task was positively correlated with attentive performance on an exteroceptive inhibitory control task. Electroencephalography source reconstruction showed that on-task alpha band (8-12 Hz) activity was greater than that measured at rest. Low-consistency/longer breath responses were associated with elevated brain activity compared with high-consistency responses, particularly in posterior default mode network (pDMN) brain regions. pDMN activity was inversely linked with functional connectivity to the frontoparietal network and the cingulo-opercular network on task but not at rest, suggesting a role for these frontal networks in on-task regulation of pDMN activity. pDMN activity within the precuneus region was greater in participants who reported low subjective mindfulness and was adaptively modulated by task difficulty in an independent experiment. Elevated pDMN alpha activity serves as an objective neural marker for low-consistency responding during interoceptive breath attention, scales with task difficulty, and is associated with low subjective mindfulness.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Breath-Focused Mindfulness and Compassion Training in Parent-Child Dyads: Pilot Intervention Study. JMIR Formative Research July 17, 2025
- Frontal Electroencephalography Asymmetry and Desynchronized Functional Connectivity Associated with Long-Term and Short-Term Breathing Training Mindfulness 2026
- Brief mindfulness coaching enhances selective attention in medical scientists: A pilot study. PLoS One September 12, 2025
- Introduction to the Special Issue on Mindfulness: Measurement, Methods, Mechanisms, & Mental Health. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science May 15, 2025
Cites 24
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- 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
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- The wandering brain: Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies of mind-wandering and related spontaneous thought processes Neuroimage February 25, 2015
and 19 more in the library