The Default Mode Network Supports Episodic Memory in Cognitively Unimpaired Elderly Individuals: Different Contributions to Immediate Recall and Delayed Recall
L. Huo, Rui Li, Pengyun Wang, Zhiwei Zheng, Juan Li
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience January 24, 2018 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 66 |
| Population | Cognitively normal older adults aged 60-80 years |
| Measures | Auditory Verbal Learning Test, regional homogeneity (ReHo), functional connectivity (FC) |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Both immediate and delayed recall were significantly correlated with regional homogeneity in default mode network regions (parahippocampal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, inferior parietal lobule, medial prefrontal cortex), and delayed recall was additionally related to functional connectivity between these regions. The authors suggest the DMN plays different roles in memory retrieval across retention intervals and that DMN connections contribute to memory consolidation in healthy older adults. |
Abstract
While the neural correlates of age-related decline in episodic memory have been the subject of much interest, the spontaneous functional architecture of the brain for various memory processes in elderly adults, such as immediate recall (IR) and delayed recall (DR), remains unclear. The present study thus examined the neural correlates of age-related decline of various memory processes. A total of 66 cognitively normal older adults (aged 60–80 years) participated in this study. Memory processes were measured using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test as well as resting-state brain images, which were analyzed using both regional homogeneity (ReHo) and correlation-based functional connectivity (FC) approaches. We found that both IR and DR were significantly correlated with the ReHo of these critical regions, all within the default mode network (DMN), including the parahippocampal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, inferior parietal lobule, and medial prefrontal cortex. In addition, DR was also related to the FC between these DMN regions. These results suggest that the DMN plays different roles in memory retrieval across different retention intervals, and connections between the DMN regions contribute to memory consolidation of past events in healthy older people.
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
- Exploring the effects of mindfulness meditation on resting-state functional connectivity: an overview. Reviews in the Neurosciences June 3, 2026
- Default mode network connectivity is associated with executive and language performance in mild cognitive impairment. Neuroscience Letters February 16, 2026
- Mindfulness Training Improves Cognition and Strengthens Intrinsic Connectivity Between the Hippocampus and Posteromedial Cortex in Healthy Older Adults. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience August 27, 2021
- Parcellation‐based anatomic modeling of the default mode network Brain and Behavior December 18, 2020
Cites 7
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Human Brain Mapping January 24, 2008
- Fractionating the Default Mode Network: Distinct Contributions of the Ventral and Dorsal Posterior Cingulate Cortex to Cognitive Control Journal of Neuroscience March 2, 2011
- Episodic Memory Retrieval, Parietal Cortex, and the Default Mode Network: Functional and Topographic Analyses Journal of Neuroscience March 23, 2011
and 2 more in the library