Reduced default mode network connectivity following combat trauma
Julia A. Digangi, Armin Tadayyon, D. Fitzgerald, Christine A Rabinak, A. E. Kennedy, H. Klumpp, S. Rauch, K. L. Phan
Neuroscience Letters January 12, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.01.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Veterans with PTSD, combat-exposed veterans without PTSD, and never-traumatized healthy civilian controls |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | DMN connectivity was reduced in combat-exposed veterans with and without PTSD compared with never-traumatized healthy civilian controls, with weaker connectivity in a network involving the precuneus, medial prefrontal cortex, and right superior parietal lobule regardless of seed region. The authors suggest that trauma exposure itself, rather than PTSD pathology, may be related to DMN changes. |
Abstract
Recent studies show decreased functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) in PTSD; however, few have directly examined combat trauma specifically. There is limited understanding of how combat itself may affect the DMN. Some literature suggests that trauma exposure, rather than PTSD, can disrupt the DMN. To further elucidate the effect of trauma and PTSD on the DMN, we investigated DMN functional connectivity during the resting-state in veterans with PTSD, combat-exposed controls, and never-traumatized healthy controls. Results revealed that DMN connectivity was reduced in veterans exposed to combat trauma with and without PTSD compared to healthy civilian controls. Specifically, both groups of veterans demonstrated weaker connectivity within a network involving the precuneus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and right superior parietal lobule regardless of whether the mPFC or precuneus was chosen as a seed region. Findings suggest that the experience of trauma, rather than the pathology of PTSD, may be related to DMN changes.
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 7
- The sense of self in the aftermath of trauma: lessons from the default mode network in posttraumatic stress disorder European Journal of Psychotraumatology October 23, 2020
- Altered functional connectivity within the default mode network in two animal models with opposing episodic memories PLoS One September 18, 2018
- Trauma and the default mode network: review and exploratory study Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience December 23, 2024
- Posterior cingulate cortex downregulation training using fMRI neurofeedback in adolescents with early life adversity exposure: a randomized, single-blind trial. Translational Psychiatry July 13, 2025
- Brain State Dynamics in Ketamine-Induced Dissociation Resemble Those in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science March 1, 2026
and 2 more in the library
Cites 5
- 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
- Investigating the Functional Heterogeneity of the Default Mode Network Using Coordinate-Based Meta-Analytic Modeling Journal of Neuroscience November 18, 2009
- Default mode network connectivity: effects of age, sex, and analytic approach Neuroreport May 28, 2008
- Functional connectivity in the resting brain: A network analysis of the default mode hypothesis Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 27, 2002