Age-related alterations in default mode network: Impact on working memory performance
Fabio Sambataro, Vishnu P. Murty, Joseph H. Callicott, Hao-Yang Tan, Saumitra Das, Daniel R. Weinberger, Venkata S. Mattay
Neurobiology of Aging August 1, 2008 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.05.022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Older and younger adults |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Citations | 534 |
| Key findings | Older adults showed decreased DMN connectivity and ability to suppress low-frequency oscillations during a working memory task, with weaker posterior cingulate-medial prefrontal cortex coupling linked to lower performance. |
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) is a set of functionally connected brain regions which shows deactivation (task-induced deactivation, TID) during a cognitive task. Evidence shows an age-related decline in task-load-related modulation of the activity within the DMN during cognitive tasks. However, the effect of age on the functional coupling within the DMN and their relation to cognitive performance has hitherto been unexplored. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated functional connectivity within the DMN in older and younger subjects during a working memory task with increasing task load. Older adults showed decreased connectivity and ability to suppress low frequency oscillations of the DMN. Additionally, the strength of the functional coupling of posterior cingulate (pCC) with medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) correlated positively with performance and was lower in older adults. pCC was also negatively coupled with task-related regions, namely the dorsolateral PFC and cingulate regions. Our results show that in addition to changes in canonical task-related brain regions, normal aging is also associated with alterations in the activity and connectivity of brain regions within the DMN. These changes may be a reflection of a deficit in cognitive control associated with advancing age that results in deficient resource allocation to the task at hand.
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 30
- The Default Mode Network in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Brain Connectivity December 5, 2016
- BOLD correlates of EEG alpha phase-locking and the fMRI default mode network Neuroimage January 15, 2009
- Reduced functional segregation between the default mode network and the executive control network in healthy older adults: A longitudinal study Neuroimage March 19, 2016
- Structural and functional connectivity of the precuneus and thalamus to the default mode network Human Brain Mapping October 14, 2016
- A default mode of brain function in altered states of consciousness. February 26, 2013
and 25 more in the library