Longitudinal functional connectivity patterns of the default mode network in healthy older adults
Brigitta Malagurski, P. F. Deschwanden, L. Jäncke, S. Mérillat
Neuroimage June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119414 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal observational study Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 232 |
| Population | Healthy older adults aged 64-87 years (mean age 70.85 years) |
| Duration | 5 measurement occasions over 7 years |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Average default mode network functional connectivity strength remained stable over seven years, but individual DMN components showed a complex pattern of both decreases and increases in connectivity over time, while age-related effects were negative and confined to select brain areas. The authors argue these results highlight the need for longitudinal, fine-grained analyses to capture the complexity of DMN reorganization in healthy aging. |
Abstract
Cross-sectional studies have consistently identified age-associated alterations in default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity (FC). Yet, research on longitudinal trajectories of FC changes of the DMN in healthy aging is less conclusive. For the present study, we used a resting state functional MRI dataset drawn from the Longitudinal Healthy Aging Brain Database Project (LHAB) collected in 5 occasions over a course of 7 years (baseline N = 232, age range: 64-87 y, mean age = 70.85 y). FC strength changes within the DMN and its regions were investigated using a network-based statistical method suitable for the analysis of longitudinal data. The average DMN FC strength remained stable, however, various DMN components showed differential age- and time-related effects. Our results revealed a complex pattern of longitudinal change seen as decreases and increases of FC strength encompassing the majority of DMN regions, while age-related effects were negative and present in select brain areas. These findings testify to the growing importance of longitudinal studies using more sophisticated fine-grained tools needed to highlight the complexity of the functional reorganization of DMN with healthy aging.
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
Cited by 3
- Psilocybin in late-life mental health: Addressing depression, loneliness, and existential anxiety General Hospital Psychiatry December 9, 2025
- The Journey of the Default Mode Network: Development, Function, and Impact on Mental Health Biology April 1, 2025
- Differences Between Resting-State fMRI BOLD Variability and Default Mode Network Connectivity in Healthy Older and Younger Adults Brain Connectivity September 1, 2024
Cites 8
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Investigating the Functional Heterogeneity of the Default Mode Network Using Coordinate-Based Meta-Analytic Modeling Journal of Neuroscience November 18, 2009
- Episodic Memory Retrieval, Parietal Cortex, and the Default Mode Network: Functional and Topographic Analyses Journal of Neuroscience March 23, 2011
- The Default Mode Network in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Brain Connectivity December 5, 2016
- Reduced functional segregation between the default mode network and the executive control network in healthy older adults: A longitudinal study Neuroimage March 19, 2016
and 3 more in the library