Task-positive Functional Connectivity of the Default Mode Network Transcends Task Domain
Amanda Elton, Wei Gao
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience December 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00859 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Task-based functional neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Human participants undergoing fMRI |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key points | The authors report that DMN connectivity with task-promoting regions (anterior insula, inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus) increased significantly across all six internal and external tasks relative to rest, and that these connectivity changes were significantly associated with individual differences in task performance. They propose that the DMN may not only support a default mode but may contribute to both internal and external tasks through flexible coupling with task-relevant brain regions. |
Abstract
Abstract: The default mode network (DMN) was first recognized as a set of brain regions demonstrating consistently greater activity during rest than during a multitude of tasks. Originally, this network was believed to interfere with goal-directed behavior based on its decreased activity during many such tasks. More recently, however, the role of the DMN during goal-directed behavior was established for internally oriented tasks, in which the DMN demonstrated increased activity. However, the well-documented hub position and information-bridging potential of midline DMN regions indicate that there is more to uncover regarding its functional contributions to goal-directed tasks, which may be based on its functional interactions rather than its level of activation. An investigation of task-related changes in DMN functional connectivity during a series of both internal and external tasks would provide the requisite investigation for examining the role of the DMN during goal-directed task performance. In this study, 20 participants underwent fMRI while performing six tasks spanning diverse internal and external domains in addition to a resting-state scan. We hypothesized that the DMN would demonstrate “task-positive” (i.e., positively contributing to task performance) changes in functional connectivity relative to rest regardless of the direction of task-related changes in activity. Indeed, our results demonstrate significant increases in DMN connectivity with task-promoting regions (e.g., anterior insula, inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus) across all six tasks. Furthermore, canonical correlation analyses indicated that the observed task-related connectivity changes were significantly associated with individual differences in task performance. Our results indicate that the DMN may not only support a “default” mode but may play a greater role in both internal and external tasks through flexible coupling with task-relevant brain regions.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Nature Communications July 18, 2016
- Classic Psychedelic Drugs: Update on Biological Mechanisms Pharmacopsychiatry January 25, 2022
- The "two-brain" approach reveals the active role of task-deactivated default mode network in speech comprehension. Cerebral Cortex October 20, 2022
- Involvement of the default mode network under varying levels of cognitive effort Scientific Reports April 15, 2022
- Tasks activating the default mode network map multiple functional systems Brain Structure and Function February 18, 2022
and 6 more in the library
Cites 5
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 26, 2009
- Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Human Brain Mapping January 24, 2008
- Impairment and compensation coexist in amnestic MCI default mode network Neuroimage December 17, 2009
- Failure to deactivate in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia: dysfunction of the default mode network? Psychological Medicine August 1, 2008