Taking the body off the mind: Decreased functional connectivity between somatomotor and default‐mode networks following Floatation‐REST
Obada Al Zoubi, Masaya Misaki, Jerzy Bodurka, Rayus Kuplicki, Colleen Wohlrab, William A. Schoenhals, Hazem H. Refai, Sahib S. Khalsa, Murray B. Stein, Martin P. Paulus, Justin S. Feinstein
Human Brain Mapping April 9, 2021 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25429 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy participants |
| Duration | 90-minute session |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Resting State FMRI Sensory stimulation therapy Neuroimaging Insula |
| Citations | 39 |
| Key findings | Floatation-REST and a zero-gravity chair control condition both reduce resting-state functional connectivity within and between posterior default-mode network hubs and somatomotor cortices extending into the posterior insula. |
Abstract
Abstract Floatation‐Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) is a procedure that reduces stimulation of the human nervous system by minimizing sensory signals from visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, thermal, tactile, vestibular, gravitational, and proprioceptive channels, in addition to minimizing musculoskeletal movement and speech. Initial research has found that Floatation‐REST can elicit short‐term reductions in anxiety, depression, and pain, yet little is known about the brain networks impacted by the intervention. This study represents the first functional neuroimaging investigation of Floatation‐REST, and we utilized a data‐driven exploratory analysis to determine whether the intervention leads to altered patterns of resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC). Healthy participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after 90 min of Floatation‐REST or a control condition that entailed resting supine in a zero‐gravity chair for an equivalent amount of time. Multivariate Distance Matrix Regression (MDMR), a statistically‐stringent whole‐brain searchlight approach, guided subsequent seed‐based connectivity analyses of the resting‐state fMRI data. MDMR identified peak clusters of rsFC change between the pre‐ and post‐float fMRI, revealing significant decreases in rsFC both within and between posterior hubs of the default‐mode network (DMN) and a large swath of cortical tissue encompassing the primary and secondary somatomotor cortices extending into the posterior insula. The control condition, an active form of REST, showed a similar pattern of reduced rsFC. Thus, reduced stimulation of the nervous system appears to be reflected by reduced rsFC within the brain networks most responsible for creating and mapping our sense of self.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subjects, placebo-controlled, task-free fMRI study | n = 30 |
| The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers | 2014 | Placebo-controlled study | |
| Ketamine Decreases Resting State Functional Network Connectivity in Healthy Subjects: Implications for Antidepressant Drug Action Healthy subjects | 2012 | Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover rsfMRI challenge | |
| Antidepressants Normalize the Default Mode Network in Patients With Dysthymia Subjects with dysthymic disorder and healthy control participants aged 18 to 53 years | 2013 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Functional Connectivity Measures After Psilocybin Inform a Novel Hypothesis of Early Psychosis Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subject, placebo-controlled experimental study | n = 15 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- ‘Mind-Revealing’ Psychedelic States: Psychological Processes in Subjective Experiences That Drive Positive Change Psychoactives September 27, 2024
- A systematic review of flotation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST). BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies July 3, 2025
- How we experience the passage of time: the body, feelings, and the self September 14, 2022
- Natural language analysis of the structure of altered states of consciousness Journal of Psychedelic Studies May 17, 2025
- Increased wakefulness as measured by the WAKE-16 is related to mindfulness and emotional self-regulation in experienced Buddhist meditators. Progress in Brain Research 2024
and 8 more in the library
Cites 18
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology March 29, 2012
- 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 the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
and 13 more in the library