Optogenetic stimulation of anterior insular cortex neurons reveals causal mechanisms underlying suppression of the default mode network by the salience network
Vinod Menon, Domenic Cerri, Byeongwook Lee, Rui Yuan, Sung-Ho Lee, Yen-Yu Ian Shih
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Intervention | optogenetic stimulation |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Feedforward optogenetic stimulation of anterior insular cortex neurons suppresses default mode network activity and decreases functional connectivity between the salience network and default mode network. |
Abstract
Abstract The salience network (SN) and default mode network (DMN) play a crucial role in cognitive function. The SN, anchored in the anterior insular cortex (AI), has been hypothesized to modulate DMN activity during stimulus-driven cognition. However, the causal neural mechanisms underlying changes in DMN activity and its functional connectivity with the SN are poorly understood. Here we combine feedforward optogenetic stimulation with fMRI and computational modeling to dissect the causal role of AI neurons in dynamic functional interactions between SN and DMN nodes in the rat brain. Optogenetic stimulation of Chronos-expressing AI neurons in rats suppressed DMN activity, and decreased AI-DMN and intra-DMN functional connectivity. Our findings demonstrate that feedforward optogenetic stimulation of AI neurons induces dynamic suppression and decoupling of the DMN and elucidates previously unknown features of rodent brain network organization. Our study advances foundational knowledge of causal mechanisms underlying dynamic cross-network interactions and brain network switching. Teaser Insular cortex stimulation reveals causal mechanisms underlying default mode network suppression by the salience network
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 2
- Optogenetic stimulation of anterior insular cortex neurons in male rats reveals causal mechanisms underlying suppression of the default mode network by the salience network. Nature Communications February 16, 2023
- Neuronal dynamics of the default mode network and anterior insular cortex: Intrinsic properties and modulation by salient stimuli. Science Advances February 15, 2023
Cites 10
- Fractionating the Default Mode Network: Distinct Contributions of the Ventral and Dorsal Posterior Cingulate Cortex to Cognitive Control Journal of Neuroscience March 2, 2011
- The default mode network: where the idiosyncratic self meets the shared social world Nature Reviews Neuroscience January 22, 2021
- Rat brains also have a default mode network Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences February 21, 2012
- Large-scale topology and the default mode network in the mouse connectome Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 15, 2014
- Regional, Layer, and Cell-Type-Specific Connectivity of the Mouse Default Mode Network Neuron December 1, 2020
and 5 more in the library