Blink-related momentary activation of the default mode network while viewing videos
Tamami Nakano, Makoto Kato, Yusuke Morito, Seishi Itoi, Shigeru Kitazawa
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 24, 2012 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1214804110 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Human participants viewing videos |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Citations | 246 |
| Key findings | Eyeblinks momentarily decrease activity in the dorsal attention network and increase activity in the default-mode network, suggesting they play an active role in attentional disengagement. |
Abstract
It remains unknown why we generate spontaneous eyeblinks every few seconds, more often than necessary for ocular lubrication. Because eyeblinks tend to occur at implicit breakpoints while viewing videos, we hypothesized that eyeblinks are actively involved in the release of attention. We show that while viewing videos, cortical activity momentarily decreases in the dorsal attention network after blink onset but increases in the default-mode network implicated in internal processing. In contrast, physical blackouts of the video do not elicit such reciprocal changes in brain networks. The results suggest that eyeblinks are actively involved in the process of attentional disengagement during a cognitive behavior by momentarily activating the default-mode network while deactivating the dorsal attention network.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Sleuthing subjectivity: a review of covert measures of consciousness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience May 23, 2025
- Neuronal correlates of eyeblinks are an expression of primary consciousness phenomena Scientific Reports August 3, 2023
- Receptive versus interactive video screens: A role for the brain's default mode network in learning from media Computers in Human Behavior October 1, 2019
- Consciousness: a unique way of processing information. Cognitive Processing August 1, 2018
- Spontaneous eyeblinks during breaking continuous flash suppression are associated with increased detection times. Journal of Vision November 1, 2016
and 1 more in the library