Skip to content

EEG default mode network in the human brain: Spectral regional field powers

Andrew C.N. Chen, Weijia Feng, Huixuan Zhao, Yanling Yin, Peipei Wang

Neuroimage January 17, 2008 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.12.064 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 15
Population Right-handed healthy college females
Duration 3 minutes each for eyes-closed and eyes-open resting states
Topics Default mode network
Citations 261
Key findings Eyes-open versus eyes-closed resting state produces distinct, frequency-specific spatial redistributions of EEG field power, with delta power increasing and alpha, theta, and beta-1 powers decreasing over specific brain regions.

Abstract

Eyes-closed (EC) and eyes-open (EO) are essential behaviors in mammalians, including man. At resting EC-EO state, brain activity in the default mode devoid of task-demand has recently been established in fMRI. However, the corresponding comprehensive electrophysiological conditions are little known even though EEG has been recorded in humans for nearly 80 years. In this study, we examined the spatial characteristics of spectral distribution in EEG field powers, i.e., sitting quietly with an EC and EO resting state of 3 min each, measured with high-density 128-ch EEG recording and FFT signal analyses in 15 right-handed healthy college females. Region of interest was set at a threshold at 90% of the spectral effective value to delimit the dominant spatial field power of effective energy in brain activity. Low-frequency delta (0.5-3.5 Hz) EEG field power was distributed at the prefrontal area with great expansion of spatial field and enhancement of field power (t=-2.72, p<0.02) from the EC to the EO state. Theta (4-7 Hz) EEG field power was distributed over the fronto-central area and leaned forward from EC to the EO state but with drastic reduction in field power (t=4.04, p<0.01). The middle-frequency alpha-1 (7.5-9.5 Hz) and alpha-2 (10-12 Hz) EEG powers exhibited bilateral distribution over the posterior areas with an anterior field in lower alpha-1. Both showed significantly reduction of field powers (respectively, W=120, p<0.001 for alpha-1; t=4.12, p<0.001 for alpha-2) from EC to the EO state. Beta-1 (13-23 Hz) exhibited a similar spatial region over the posterior area as in alpha-2 and showed reduction of field power (t=4.42, p<0.001) from EC to the EO state. In contrast, high-frequency beta-2 and gamma band exhibited similar, mainly prefrontal distribution in field power, and exhibited no change from EC to the EO state. Corresponding correlation analyses indicated significant group association between EC and EO only in the field powers of delta (r=0.95, p<0.001) and theta (r=0.77, p<0.001) band. In addition, the great inter-individual variability (90 folds in alpha-1, 62 folds in alpha-2) in regional field power was largely observed in the EC state (10 folds) than the EO state in subjects. To summarize, our study depicts a network of spectral EEG activities simultaneously operative at well defined regional fields in the EC state, varying specifically between EC and EO states. In contrast to transient EEG spectral rhythmic dynamics, current study of long-lasting (e.g. 3 min) spectral field powers can characterize state features in EEG. The EEG default mode network (EEG-DMN) of spectral field powers at rest in the respective EC or EO state is valued to serve as the basal electrophysiological condition in human brain. In health, this EEG-DMN is deemed essential for evaluation of brain functions without task demands for gender difference, developmental change in age span, and brain response to task activation. It is expected to define brain dysfunction in disease at resting state and with consequences for sensory, affective and cognitive alteration in the human brain.

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 18

and 13 more in the library

Cites 3

Related reading

Explore topics

Default mode network