Regional, Layer, and Cell-Type-Specific Connectivity of the Mouse Default Mode Network
Jennifer D. Whitesell, Adam Liska, Ludovico Coletta, Karla E. Hirokawa, Phillip Bohn, Allison Williford, Peter A. Groblewski, Nile Graddis, L. Kuan, Joseph E. Knox, Anh Ho, Wayne Wakeman, P. Nicovich, T. Nguyen, C. Velthoven, Emma J. Garren, Olivia Fong, M. Naeemi, A. Henry, N. Dee, Kimberly A. Smith, Boaz P. Levi, David Feng, Lydia Ng, Bosiljka Tasic, Hongkui Zeng, Stefan Mihalas, Alessandro Gozzi, Julie A. Harris
Neuron December 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.11.011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study with co-registered imaging and tracing data Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mice |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | The mouse default mode network consists of preferentially interconnected cortical regions, with layer 2/3 neurons projecting almost exclusively within the DMN and layer 5 neurons projecting both in and out of the DMN. |
Abstract
Summary The evolutionarily conserved default mode network (DMN) is a distributed set of brain regions coactivated during resting states that is vulnerable to brain disorders. How disease affects the DMN is unknown, but detailed anatomical descriptions could provide clues. Mice offer an opportunity to investigate structural connectivity of the DMN across spatial scales with cell-type resolution. We co-registered maps from functional magnetic resonance imaging and axonal tracing experiments into the 3D Allen mouse brain reference atlas. We find that the mouse DMN consists of preferentially interconnected cortical regions. As a population, DMN layer 2/3 (L2/3) neurons project almost exclusively to other DMN regions, whereas L5 neurons project in and out of the DMN. In the retrosplenial cortex, a core DMN region, we identify two L5 projection types differentiated by in- or out-DMN targets, laminar position, and gene expression. These results provide a multi-scale description of the anatomical correlates of the mouse DMN.
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 16
- Psilocybin triggers an activity-dependent rewiring of large-scale cortical networks Cell December 5, 2025
- Psychedelic neuroplasticity of cortical neurons lacking 5-HT2A receptors Molecular Psychiatry March 1, 2026
- Psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonism alters neurovascular coupling and differentially affects neuronal and hemodynamic measures of brain function Nature Neuroscience October 13, 2025
- Psilocybin Promotes Cell-Type-Specific Changes in the Orbitofrontal Cortex Revealed by Single-Nucleus RNA-seq bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) January 7, 2024
- Common Phenomenal and Neural Substrate Geometry in Visual Motion Perception bioRxiv Preprint Server October 1, 2025
and 11 more in the library
Cites 6
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Cerebral Cortex April 9, 2008
- Rat brains also have a default mode network Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences February 21, 2012
- The structural–functional connectome and the default mode network of the human brain Neuroimage October 4, 2013
and 1 more in the library