Default mode network synchrony reflects shared understanding
Tal Ohad, Yohay Zvi, Y. Yeshurun
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences August 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2025.101540 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | The authors propose that synchronized default mode network responses may underlie shared understanding of external and interpersonal events, and they outline four research directions: examining DMN synchronization in simulating others' mental states, testing whether it is a trait, probing its causal role in shared understanding, and investigating coupling beyond synchronization. They contend that advancing this knowledge could answer fundamental questions about shared understanding and foster positive interactions among individuals and groups. |
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) has been linked to self-reflection and theory of mind, suggesting that it facilitates understanding others by reflecting on ourselves. This raises the question of whether shared (synchronized) DMN responses are associated with mutual understanding. The current paper reviews studies on DMN synchronization during shared understanding of external events, regarding experimentally manipulated states (with presentation of external contexts), inherent traits (e.g. paranoia), interpersonal closeness (e.g. friends), and group identity (e.g. political affiliation). It also reviews DMN synchronization in shared understanding of interpersonal events, as in communication (e.g. teachers and students). We propose four research directions: investigating the role of DMN synchronization in simulating others’ mental states, testing if DMN synchronization is a trait, exploring its causal role in shared understanding, and testing coupling beyond synchronization. Advancing knowledge on DMN synchronization could answer fundamental questions about shared understanding and foster positive interactions among individuals and groups.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Brain's Default Mode Network | 2015 | Review | |
| Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology | 2012 | Review | |
| 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis | 2023 | Review | |
| On the relationship between the “default mode network” and the “social brain” | 2012 | Review | |
| The default mode network and social understanding of others: what do brain connectivity studies tell us Healthy subjects, with some studies on patients with autism and psychopathy | 2014 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 1
Cites 3
- The default mode network: where the idiosyncratic self meets the shared social world Nature Reviews Neuroscience January 22, 2021
- The default mode network and social understanding of others: what do brain connectivity studies tell us Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Self-Processing and the Default Mode Network: Interactions with the Mirror Neuron System Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013