Posterior default mode network activity underlies distracted interoceptive attention and provides an objective basis for low mindfulness & depression
Jyoti Mishra, Dhakshin Ramanathan, Gillian Grennan, Jason Nan, Satish Jaiswal, Suzanna R Purpura, James K Manchanda, Vojislav Maric, Pragathi Balasubramani
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study with two experiments |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 324 |
| Population | Individuals across the lifespan, ages 15–91 years |
| Topics | Default mode network Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | Response-time consistency on a breath-monitoring task correlated positively with performance on several exteroceptive cognitive tasks. Distraction during the task was associated with elevated alpha band (8–12 Hz) activity in posterior default mode network regions, which was inversely linked to fronto-parietal network connectivity and trait mindfulness, elevated in individuals with self-reported depressive symptoms, and modulated by task difficulty in a second experiment. |
Abstract
Abstract Interoceptive attention to internal sensory signals is fundamental to mindfulness. However, it is difficult to measure objectively, and the vast majority of investigations of the neural correlates of mindfulness-based attention rely on subjective and retrospective measures of distraction. In this study, we measured consistency of response times on a breath-monitoring task (instruction to respond every two breath cycles) to objectively measure interoceptive attention in individuals across the lifespan (15–91 years of age, n = 324). Consistently timed responses were indicative of on-task attention, whereas variable delayed responses indicated distraction or mind-wandering. Signifying the importance of interoceptive attention consistency, we observed that this measure was positively correlated across subjects with performance across several exteroceptive cognitive tasks. Electroencephalographic (EEG) source reconstruction demonstrated that distraction on the eyes-closed task was associated with elevated alpha band (8–12 Hz) brain activity particularly in posterior default mode network (pDMN) brain regions. The neural data revealed four important findings: 1) pDMN brain activity was inversely linked with functional connectivity to the fronto-parietal network (FPN), suggesting that pDMN-FPN interactions play a key role in the regulation of pDMN activity during interoceptive attention. 2) pDMN activity on distracted trials was inversely correlated with trait level mindfulness. 3) A key hub of the pDMN, the isthmus region of the posterior cingulate cortex (ICC), showed elevated activity on distracted trials in individuals with self-reported depressive symptoms. And 4) in an independent second experiment, pDMN activity was adaptively modulated by task difficulty that invoked different levels of distraction. These results identify an EEG-based neurophysiological marker (elevated pDMN alpha activity) underlying interoceptive distraction, which is correlated with subjective markers of mindfulness and depression and that can be adaptively modulated. Our findings, thus, provide a direct link between a neurophysiological substrate of interoceptive attention, and subjective ratings of mindfulness and depressed mood.
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
Cites 33
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology March 29, 2012
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- The wandering brain: Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies of mind-wandering and related spontaneous thought processes Neuroimage February 25, 2015
and 28 more in the library