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The imbalanced anterior and posterior default mode network in the primary insomnia.

Siyi Yu, Baojun Guo, Zhifu Shen, Zhengyan Wang, Yu Kui, Youping Hu, Fen Feng

Journal of Psychiatric Research May 17, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.05.013 (opens in new tab)

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Characteristics Case-control neuroimaging study Peer reviewed
Sample size 99
Population 48 patients with primary insomnia and 51 matched healthy control subjects
Measures global functional connectivity density (gFCD), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Topics Default mode network
Keywords Neural pathways Humans Oxygen Magnetic resonance imaging Brain mapping Psychological tests Models, neurological Rest Adult Middle aged Female Primary insomnia Functional connectivity density
Key findings Patients with primary insomnia showed increased global functional connectivity density in the executive control, salience, dorsal attention, and visual networks, with increased anterior default mode network (DMN) density but decreased posterior DMN density compared with controls. Increased insula connectivity density was associated with higher Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores. The authors argue these patterns support the hyperarousal model of insomnia and suggest imbalanced spontaneous neural fluctuations between anterior and posterior DMN.

Abstract

Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the brain is altered both structurally and functionally in patients with primary insomnia (PI). However, most previous hypothesis-driven studies of PI might bias observations. Here, we use global functional connectivity density (gFCD), a hypothesis-free approach, to investigate the brain functional alteration in patients with PI. Forty-eight patients with PI and 51 matched healthy control (HC) subjects were recruited and underwent a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Analyses of group differences of gFCD in the whole brain and the clinical significances of abnormal brain function were conducted. Compared with the HC group, patients with PI showed increased gFCD in the executive control network, salience network, dorsal attention network, and visual network. Interestingly, the gFCD in the anterior default mode network (DMN) is increased in the PI group, whereas the gFCD in the posterior DMN is decreased. In addition, the increased gFCD in the insula is associated with higher Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores in the PI group. The gender and duration of disease have no significant effects on abnormal gFCD network. This study is the first attempt to explore the gFCD feature in patients with PI. Our findings support the hyperarousal model of insomnia and suggest an imbalanced neural spontaneous fluctuation between anterior and posterior DMN in the resting state in patients with PI. These findings expand our understanding of the neuropathological mechanism of primary insomnia.

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

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