Angular default mode network connectivity across working memory load
Deniz Vatansever, Anne E. Manktelow, Barbara J. Sahakian, David K. Menon, E. Stamatakis
Human Brain Mapping 2017 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23341 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational fMRI study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants undergoing fMRI-based n-back task (specific population not stated) |
| Measures | intrinsic connectivity contrast (ICC), seed-based functional connectivity, reaction times |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | The bilateral angular gyri, core DMN hubs, showed the greatest change in global connectivity across increasing n-back task load, and their connectivity correlated with reaction times to correct responses, suggesting the DMN actively contributes to working memory. |
Abstract
AbstractInitially identified during no‐task, baseline conditions, it has now been suggested that the default mode network (DMN) engages during a variety of working memory paradigms through its flexible interactions with other large‐scale brain networks. Nevertheless, its contribution to whole‐brain connectivity dynamics across increasing working memory load has not been explicitly assessed. The aim of our study was to determine which DMN hubs relate to working memory task performance during an fMRI‐based n‐back paradigm with parametric increases in difficulty. Using a voxel‐wise metric, termed the intrinsic connectivity contrast (ICC), we found that the bilateral angular gyri (core DMN hubs) displayed the greatest change in global connectivity across three levels of n‐back task load. Subsequent seed‐based functional connectivity analysis revealed that the angular DMN regions robustly interact with other large‐scale brain networks, suggesting a potential involvement in the global integration of information. Further support for this hypothesis comes from the significant correlations we found between angular gyri connectivity and reaction times to correct responses. The implication from our study is that the DMN is actively involved during the n‐back task and thus plays an important role related to working memory, with its core angular regions contributing to the changes in global brain connectivity in response to increasing environmental demands. Hum Brain Mapp 38:41–52, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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 8
- Decreased Fronto-Parietal and Increased Default Mode Network Activation is Associated with Subtle Cognitive Deficits in Elderly Controls Neurosignals 2017
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- Mindfulness-induced modulation of resting-state networks functional connectivity in depressed adults: A systematic review Research Square October 24, 2025
- Responsiveness variability during anaesthesia relates to inherent differences in brain structure and function of the frontoparietal networks. Human Brain Mapping January 8, 2023
- Default mode network scaffolds immature frontoparietal network in cognitive development Cerebral Cortex November 1, 2022
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Cites 12
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- Episodic Memory Retrieval, Parietal Cortex, and the Default Mode Network: Functional and Topographic Analyses Journal of Neuroscience March 23, 2011
- Age-related alterations in default mode network: Impact on working memory performance Neurobiology of Aging August 1, 2008
- The default mode network and social understanding of others: what do brain connectivity studies tell us Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Cooperation between the default mode network and the frontal–parietal network in the production of an internal train of thought Brain Research April 15, 2011
and 7 more in the library