An evolutionary gap in primate default mode network organization
Clément M. Garin, Yuki Hori, Stefan Everling, Christopher T. Whitlow, Finnegan J. Calabro, B. Luna, M. Dhenain, Christos Constantinidis
Cell Reports March 16, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110669 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-species comparison Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Humans and non-hominoid primates (macaques, marmosets, mouse lemurs) |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key points | Non-hominoid primates show weak connectivity between medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, unlike humans, and instead exhibit a fronto-temporal resting-state network, suggesting a substantial gap in DMN organization. |
Abstract
SUMMARY The human default mode network (DMN) is engaged at rest and in cognitive states such as self-directed thoughts. Interconnected homologous cortical areas in primates constitute a network considered as the equivalent. Here, based on a cross-species comparison of the DMN between humans and non-hominoid primates (macaques, marmosets, and mouse lemurs), we report major dissimilarities in connectivity profiles. Most importantly, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of non-hominoid primates is poorly engaged with the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), though strong correlated activity between the human PCC and the mPFC is a key feature of the human DMN. Instead, a fronto-temporal resting-state network involving the mPFC was detected consistently across non-hominoid primate species. These common functional features shared between non-hominoid primates but not with humans suggest a substantial gap in the organization of the primate’s DMN and its associated cognitive functions.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat brains also have a default mode network Rats | 2012 | Observational study | |
| Large-scale topology and the default mode network in the mouse connectome Mouse brain | 2014 | Observational study | |
| Hippocampal Sharp-Wave Ripples Influence Selective Activation of the Default Mode Network Anesthetized monkeys | 2016 | Observational study | |
| Psilocybin-induced default mode network hypoconnectivity is blunted in alcohol-dependent rats Healthy rats and a rat model of alcohol relapse | 2023 | Randomized, placebo-controlled crossover pharmaco-fMRI study | |
| Altered functional connectivity within the default mode network in two animal models with opposing episodic memories Rats (control, LPS-challenged, and footshock-exposed groups) | 2018 | Animal model study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Acute Effects of Hallucinogens on Functional Connectivity: Psilocybin and Salvinorin-A ACS Chemical Neuroscience June 25, 2024
- Autopraxis: a biological model of limited free will Academia Neuroscience and Brain Research September 28, 2026
- Central Executive Network drives delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced nonlinear changes in large-scale functional connectivity in adolescent nonhuman primates. Neuropsychopharmacology October 1, 2025
- The Journey of the Default Mode Network: Development, Function, and Impact on Mental Health Biology April 1, 2025
- Mediodorsal thalamus and ventral pallidum contribute to subcortical regulation of the default mode network Communications Biology July 23, 2024
Cites 7
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Mapping the self in the brain's default mode network Neuroimage February 15, 2016
- Anatomical and functional investigation of the marmoset default mode network Nature Communications April 29, 2019
- Consciousness & Brain Functional Complexity in Propofol Anaesthesia Scientific Reports January 23, 2020
- The brain's center of gravity: how the default mode network helps us to understand the self World Psychiatry September 7, 2018
and 2 more in the library