Intrinsic Functional Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Predicts Mnemonic Discrimination: A Connectome-based Modeling Approach
Christopher N. Wahlheim, Alexander P. Christensen, Zachariah M. Reagh, Brittany S. Cassidy
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using connectome-based predictive modeling |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy younger and older adults |
| Measures | Mnemonic Similarity Task |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Resting-state default mode network connectivity predicted mnemonic discrimination performance outside the MRI scanner, especially involving prefrontal, temporal, and hippocampal regions. The predictive relationship was stronger in younger than older adults, primarily for temporal-prefrontal connectivity. The authors argue these findings indicate that broader cortical networks including the hippocampus support mnemonic discrimination and that age-related network disruptions may weaken this support. |
Abstract
The ability to distinguish existing memories from similar perceptual experiences is a core feature of episodic memory. This ability is often examined using the Mnemonic Similarity Task in which people discriminate memories of studied objects from perceptually similar lures. Studies of the neural basis of such mnemonic discrimination have mostly focused on hippocampal function and connectivity. However, default mode network (DMN) connectivity may also support such discrimination, given that the DMN includes the hippocampus, and its connectivity supports many aspects of episodic memory. Here, we used connectome-based predictive modeling to identify associations between intrinsic DMN connectivity and mnemonic discrimination. We leveraged a wide range of abilities across healthy younger and older adults to facilitate this predictive approach. Resting-state functional connectivity in the DMN predicted mnemonic discrimination outside the MRI scanner, especially among prefrontal and temporal regions and including several hippocampal regions. This predictive relationship was stronger for younger than older adults, primarily for temporalprefrontal connectivity. The novel associations established here are consistent with mounting evidence that broader cortical networks including the hippocampus support mnemonic discrimination. They also suggest that age-related network disruptions undermine the extent that the DMN supports this ability. This study provides the first indication of how intrinsic functional properties of the DMN support mnemonic discrimination.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience July 6, 2009
- Episodic Memory Retrieval, Parietal Cortex, and the Default Mode Network: Functional and Topographic Analyses Journal of Neuroscience March 23, 2011
- The Longitudinal Trajectory of Default Mode Network Connectivity in Healthy Older Adults Varies As a Function of Age and Is Associated with Changes in Episodic Memory and Processing Speed Journal of Neuroscience February 13, 2018