Rat brains also have a default mode network
Hanbing Lu, Qihong Zou, Hong Gu, Marcus E. Raichle, Elliot A. Stein, Yihong Yang
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences February 21, 2012 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1200506109 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Citations | 627 |
| Key findings | Rats possess a default mode network broadly similar to that of nonhuman primates and humans, suggesting the DMN is a fundamental mammalian brain feature that integrates multimodal sensory and affective information to guide behavior. |
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) in humans has been suggested to support a variety of cognitive functions and has been implicated in an array of neuropsychological disorders. However, its function(s) remains poorly understood. We show that rats possess a DMN that is broadly similar to the DMNs of nonhuman primates and humans. Our data suggest that, despite the distinct evolutionary paths between rodent and primate brain, a well-organized, intrinsically coherent DMN appears to be a fundamental feature in the mammalian brain whose primary functions might be to integrate multimodal sensory and affective information to guide behavior in anticipation of changing environmental contingencies.