Effective Connectivity within the Default Mode Network: Dynamic Causal Modeling of Resting-State fMRI Data
M. Sharaev, V. V. Zavyalova, V. Ushakov, S. Kartashov, B. Velichkovsky
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience February 1, 2016 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational neuroimaging study using spectral dynamic causal modeling Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Healthy subjects |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | The best group-level model showed significant, symmetrical connections from both left and right intraparietal cortex to medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, with these connections much stronger than the bidirectional mPFC-PCC connections. The authors propose that the intraparietal regions may have a driving role within the default mode network. |
Abstract
The Default Mode Network (DMN) is a brain system that mediates internal modes of cognitive activity, showing higher neural activation when one is at rest. Nowadays, there is a lot of interest in assessing functional interactions between its key regions, but in the majority of studies only association of Blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) activation patterns is measured, so it is impossible to identify causal influences. There are some studies of causal interactions (i.e., effective connectivity), however often with inconsistent results. The aim of the current work is to find a stable pattern of connectivity between four DMN key regions: the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), left and right intraparietal cortex (LIPC and RIPC). For this purpose functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 30 healthy subjects (1000 time points from each one) was acquired and spectral dynamic causal modeling (DCM) on a resting-state fMRI data was performed. The endogenous brain fluctuations were explicitly modeled by Discrete Cosine Set at the low frequency band of 0.0078–0.1 Hz. The best model at the group level is the one where connections from both bilateral IPC to mPFC and PCC are significant and symmetrical in strength (p < 0.05). Connections between mPFC and PCC are bidirectional, significant in the group and weaker than connections originating from bilateral IPC. In general, all connections from LIPC/RIPC to other DMN regions are much stronger. One can assume that these regions have a driving role within the DMN. Our results replicate some data from earlier works on effective connectivity within the DMN as well as provide new insights on internal DMN relationships and brain’s functioning at resting state.
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 10
- Effective connectivity changes in LSD-induced altered states of consciousness in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 28, 2019
- The thalamocortical inhibitory network controls human conscious perception Neuroimage November 9, 2022
- Impact of sample size and regression of tissue‐specific signals on effective connectivity within the core default mode network Human Brain Mapping September 15, 2023
- Disrupted self-referential processing and empathy-based interventions in mental disorders: neural mechanisms, cognitive biases, and therapeutic integration Frontiers in Psychiatry July 6, 2026
- Dynamic causal modeling of low-density resting-state EEG in long-term meditation practitioners Scientific Reports February 26, 2026
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Cites 7
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Cerebral Cortex April 9, 2008
- The salience network is responsible for switching between the default mode network and the central executive network: Replication from DCM Neuroimage May 24, 2014
- The default-mode, ego-functions and free-energy: a neurobiological account of Freudian ideas Brain February 28, 2010
- Granger causal influence predicts BOLD activity levels in the default mode network. Human Brain Mapping 2011
and 2 more in the library