Distinct Interactions between Fronto-Parietal and Default Mode Networks in Impaired Consciousness.
Jinyi Long, Qiuyou Xie, Qing Ma, M A Urbin, Liqing Liu, Ling Weng, Xiaoqi Huang, Ronghao Yu, Yuanqing Li, Ruiwang Huang
Scientific Reports December 13, 2016 DOI: 10.1038/srep38866 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Patients with disorders of consciousness (11 vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, 7 minimally conscious state), compared with healthy controls |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Topological properties of the default-mode network (DMN) and fronto-parietal network (FPN) were anti-correlated, partly due to interactions between the FPN's dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the DMN's precuneus. Connectivity disruptions were distance-dependent, affecting mainly long-distance connections in the FPN and short-distance connections in the DMN. Combining FPN and DMN topological patterns predicted conscious state more effectively than connectivity within either network alone, suggesting these interactions may mediate conscious state. |
Abstract
Existing evidence suggests that the default-mode network (DMN) and fronto-pariatal network (FPN) play an important role in altered states of consciousness. However, the brain mechanisms underlying impaired consciousness and the specific network interactions involved are not well understood. We studied the topological properties of brain functional networks using resting-state functional MRI data acquired from 18 patients (11 vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, VS/UWS, and 7 minimally conscious state, MCS) and compared these properties with those of healthy controls. We identified that the topological properties in DMN and FPN are anti-correlated which comes, in part, from the contribution of interactions between dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the FPN and precuneus of the DMN. Notably, altered nodal connectivity strength was distance-dependent, with most disruptions appearing in long-distance connections within the FPN but in short-distance connections within the DMN. A multivariate pattern-classification analysis revealed that combination of topological patterns between the FPN and DMN could predict conscious state more effectively than connectivity within either network. Taken together, our results imply distinct interactions between the FPN and DMN, which may mediate conscious state.
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 4
- The Association Between Loss of Consciousness and the Default Mode Network at the Chronic Stage of Diffuse Axonal Injury: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study Journal of Clinical Medicine September 17, 2026
- Perspective Chapter: Mechanisms Underlying Complementary Therapies for Cognitive Enhancement IntechOpen eBooks March 5, 2026
- Resting-state functional connectivity between the frontoparietal network and the default mode network is aberrantly increased in ankylosing spondylitis BMC musculoskeletal disorders January 23, 2025
- The Neurofunctional Model of Consciousness: The Physiological Interconnectivity of Brain Networks Connectivity and Functional Specialization in the Brain June 2, 2021
Cites 9
- Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Cerebral Cortex April 9, 2008
- Two Distinct Neuronal Networks Mediate the Awareness of Environment and of Self Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience June 1, 2010
- Resting State Networks and Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology 2012
- Reconfiguration of Network Hub Structure after Propofol-induced Unconsciousness Anesthesiology September 7, 2013
- Dynamic Change of Global and Local Information Processing in Propofol-Induced Loss and Recovery of Consciousness PLoS Comput. Biol. October 1, 2013
and 4 more in the library