The influence of rest period instructions on the default mode network.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience December 1, 2010 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2010.00218 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental fMRI study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 27 |
| Population | Healthy adult volunteers |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | The dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, a core default mode network region, showed greater activity when participants were instructed to attend to or ignore scanner background noise compared with non-specific rest instructions. Connectivity between this region and inferior parietal/posterior superior temporal cortex also differed by condition. The authors conclude that rest instructions and scanner noise should be carefully considered in fMRI studies of the DMN, especially in clinical populations and groups that may approach rest differently. |
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) refers to regional brain activity that is greater during rest periods than during attention-demanding tasks; many studies have reported DMN alterations in patient populations. It has also been shown that the DMN is suppressed by scanner background noise (SBN), which is the noise produced by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, it is unclear whether different approaches to "rest" in the noisy MR environment can alter the DMN and constitute a confound in studies investigating the DMN in particular patient populations (e.g., individuals with schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease). We examined 27 healthy adult volunteers who completed an fMRI experiment with three different instructions for rest: (1) relax and be still, (2) attend to SBN, or (3) ignore SBN. Region of interest analyses were performed to determine the influence of rest period instructions on core regions of the DMN and DMN regions previously reported to be altered in patients with or at risk for Alzheimer's disease or schizophrenia. The dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) exhibited greater activity when specific resting instructions were given (i.e., attend to or ignore SBN) compared to when non-specific resting instructions were given. Condition-related differences in connectivity were also observed between regions of the dmPFC and inferior parietal/posterior superior temporal cortex. We conclude that rest period instructions and SBN levels should be carefully considered for fMRI studies on the DMN, especially studies on clinical populations and groups that may have different approaches to rest, such as first-time research participants and children.
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 2
Cites 3
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Failure to deactivate in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia: dysfunction of the default mode network? Psychological Medicine August 1, 2008
- Functional connectivity in the resting brain: A network analysis of the default mode hypothesis Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 27, 2002