Restoration of default mode network and task positive network anti-correlation associated with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for bipolar disorder
Tina Chou, Darin D. Dougherty, Andrew A. Nierenberg, Thilo Deckersbach
Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging November 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111419 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 44 |
| Population | Individuals with DSM-IV bipolar disorder and healthy controls |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Supportive psychotherapy |
| Duration | 12-week intervention |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy restored the anti-correlation between the default mode network and task positive network in individuals with bipolar disorder, while supportive psychotherapy did not produce a significant change. |
Abstract
Individuals with bipolar disorder (BP) show abnormalities in the default mode network (DMN), a brain network active at rest and during self-referential cognition. In healthy individuals, the DMN is anti-correlated (strongly negatively correlated) with the task positive network (TPN), a brain network that is active during attention demanding tasks. Mindfulness has been linked to changes in DMN connectivity. We investigated the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) versus supportive psychotherapy (SP) on the relationship between these two networks in individuals with BP. We identified differences in BOLD resting state DMN-TPN connectivity between healthy controls (HC; n=22) and individuals with DSM-IV BP before treatment (n=22) using a seed region in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a key TPN node. We then explored changes in DMN-TPN connectivity after 12 weeks of MBCT or SP. Before treatment, BP individuals showed positively correlated activity and the HC group showed negatively correlated activity between the DLPFC and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). After treatment, BP individuals who received MBCT showed negatively correlated DLPFC-PCC activity. BP individuals who received SP did not show a significant change. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can restore the anti-correlation between the DMN and TPN in individuals with BP.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subjects, placebo-controlled, task-free fMRI study | n = 30 |
| The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers | 2014 | Placebo-controlled study | |
| Ketamine Decreases Resting State Functional Network Connectivity in Healthy Subjects: Implications for Antidepressant Drug Action Healthy subjects | 2012 | Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover rsfMRI challenge | |
| Antidepressants Normalize the Default Mode Network in Patients With Dysthymia Subjects with dysthymic disorder and healthy control participants aged 18 to 53 years | 2013 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Functional Connectivity Measures After Psilocybin Inform a Novel Hypothesis of Early Psychosis Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subject, placebo-controlled experimental study | n = 15 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Treatment of Anxiety Disorders During the Postpartum Period: A 4-Week Proof-of-Concept Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol Brain Sciences January 13, 2026
- Ketamine-related neural changes in treatment-resistant depression: A multimodal synthesis of fMRI and PET studies. Journal of Affective Disorders April 28, 2026
- Mindfulness Meditation Training Reshapes Somatomotor Edge-Centric Connectivity Underlying Somatic Awareness: Insights for Healthy and Depressed Individuals medRxiv July 29, 2025
- Electrocortical Indices of Default Mode Network-Related Activity in ADHD and Modulation Through Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Brain Topography June 26, 2026
- Mindfulness-induced modulation of resting-state networks functional connectivity in depressed adults: A systematic review Research Square October 24, 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 11
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 26, 2009
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
and 6 more in the library