The default mode network and altered consciousness in epilepsy.
Nathan B Danielson, Jennifer N Guo, Hal Blumenfeld
Behavioural Neurology 2011 DOI: 10.3233/ben-2011-0310 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness Default mode network |
| Key findings | The authors propose that loss of consciousness across complex partial, generalized tonic-clonic, and absence seizures results from active inhibition of subcortical arousal systems that normally maintain default mode network activity during wakefulness, and argue this supports a general "network inhibition hypothesis" of cortical deactivation. |
Abstract
The default mode network has been hypothesized based on the observation that specific regions of the brain are consistently activated during the resting state and deactivated during engagement with task. The primary nodes of this network, which typically include the precuneus/posterior cingulate, the medial frontal and lateral parietal cortices, are thought to be involved in introspective and social cognitive functions. Interestingly, this same network has been shown to be selectively impaired during epileptic seizures associated with loss of consciousness. Using a wide range of neuroimaging and electrophysiological modalities, decreased activity in the default mode network has been confirmed during complex partial, generalized tonic-clonic, and absence seizures. In this review we will discuss these three seizure types and will focus on possible mechanisms by which decreased default mode network activity occurs. Although the specific mechanisms of onset and propagation differ considerably across these seizure types, we propose that the resulting loss of consciousness in all three types of seizures is due to active inhibition of subcortical arousal systems that normally maintain default mode network activity in the awake state. Further, we suggest that these findings support a general "network inhibition hypothesis", by which active inhibition of arousal systems by seizures in certain cortical regions leads to cortical deactivation in other cortical areas. This may represent a push-pull mechanism similar to that seen operating between cortical networks under normal conditions.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Brain's Default Mode Network | 2015 | Review | |
| Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology | 2012 | Review | |
| 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis | 2023 | Review | |
| On the relationship between the “default mode network” and the “social brain” | 2012 | Review | |
| The default mode network and social understanding of others: what do brain connectivity studies tell us Healthy subjects, with some studies on patients with autism and psychopathy | 2014 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- The Mechanisms of Psychedelic Visionary Experiences: Hypotheses from Evolutionary Psychology Frontiers in Neuroscience September 28, 2017
- This is your brain on death: a comparative analysis of a near-death experience and subsequent 5-Methoxy-DMT experience. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Toward a neurophysiological foundation for altered states of consciousness. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 2018
- An estimate of the number of people with clinical depression eligible for psilocybin-assisted therapy in the United States Psychedelics September 13, 2024
- Diminished functional gradient of the precuneus during altered states of consciousness bioRxiv December 17, 2024
and 4 more in the library
Cites 4
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Neuroimage June 13, 2008
- Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Human Brain Mapping January 24, 2008
- Development of functional and structural connectivity within the default mode network in young children Neuroimage April 11, 2010