Default mode network activity is related to efficiency in a combined motion error and gambling task.
Gregory V Chernov, Mikhail Y Mel'nikov, Alexis V Belianin, Pavel D Rudych, Dmitry D Bezmaternykh, Rassul M Shakhzadayev
Scientific Reports January 6, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-34609-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 25 |
| Population | Healthy adults |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Humans Magnetic resonance imaging Brain mapping Risk-taking Gambling Reward Decision making Motion Female Young adult Striatum Decision-making Risk taking Exploration-exploitation balance |
| Key points | Positive versus negative feedback (monetary gain versus no gain) produced activity clusters in the striatum, executive control regions, and the default mode network (DMN). Activity in DMN nodes associated with metacognitive functions, but not in striatum regions involved in reward evaluation and risk-taking, was positively related to an exploration index reflecting effective risk-taking. The authors argue the DMN, especially its anterior node, supports metacognitive control during reward-related learning. |
Abstract
Decision-making under risk lies at the core of strategic action in human activities. Nevertheless, the neural mechanisms underlying decision-making in trial-and-error-based learning in the absence of explicit risk ratios have not been thoroughly understood. This study investigates the neural correlates of long-term success during repeated risky decision-making. We combined a motion detection task with a higher-level risk task in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm. Twenty-five healthy adults participated in an fMRI task that required stopping a ball covertly moving at a constant speed at a certain spot. Participants initially selected a task difficulty level progressively related to the magnitude of the monetary reward and then attempted the task of chosen difficulty. Positive versus negative feedback (a monetary gain versus no gain) contrast comprised clusters in the striatum, executive control regions, and the Default mode network (DMN). The activity in brain regions associated with metacognitive functions (DMN nodes) and not in those involved in reward evaluation and risk-taking (striatum) was positively related to the exploration index, which reflects the effectiveness of risk-taking. This study provides insights into the functional roles of the DMN (especially, its anterior node) in high-level decision-making in risky environments, highlighting its importance in metacognitive control during reward-related learning.
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 3
- The default mode network in cognition: a topographical perspective Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 5, 2021
- Tasks activating the default mode network map multiple functional systems Brain Structure and Function February 18, 2022
- The surprising role of the default mode network in naturalistic perception Communications Biology May 20, 2020