Persistent Default-Mode Network Connectivity During Light Sedation
Michael D. Greicius, Vesa Kiviniemi, Osmo Tervonen, Vilho Vainionpää, S. Alahuhta, Allan L. Reiss, V. Menon
Human Brain Mapping January 24, 2008 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20537 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational within-subject functional neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Human subjects undergoing resting-state and midazolam sedation functional imaging |
| Intervention | Midazolam |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | The default-mode network remained functionally connected during both rest and midazolam sedation, but posterior cingulate cortex connectivity was significantly reduced during sedation. The authors propose that focal reductions in default-mode connectivity may represent a stable correlate of reduced consciousness. |
Abstract
The default‐mode network (DMN) is a set of specific brain regions whose activity, predominant in the resting‐state, is attenuated during cognitively demanding, externally‐cued tasks. The cognitive correlates of this network have proven difficult to interrogate, but one hypothesis is that regions in the network process episodic memories and semantic knowledge integral to internally‐generated mental activity. Here, we compare default‐mode functional connectivity in the same group of subjects during rest and conscious sedation with midazolam, a state characterized by anterograde amnesia and a reduced level of consciousness. Although the DMN showed functional connectivity during both rest and conscious sedation, a direct comparison found that there was significantly reduced functional connectivity in the posterior cingulate cortex during conscious sedation. These results confirm that low‐frequency oscillations in the DMN persist and remain highly correlated even at reduced levels of consciousness. We hypothesize that focal reductions in DMN connectivity, as shown here in the posterior cingulate cortex, may represent a stable correlate of reduced consciousness. Hum Brain Mapp, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
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 51
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology March 29, 2012
- 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
- Decoupling of the brain's default mode network during deep sleep Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 19, 2009
- Breakdown of within- and between-network Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Connectivity during Propofol-induced Loss of Consciousness Anesthesiology September 30, 2010
and 46 more in the library
Cites 3
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Interrupting the "stream of consciousness": an fMRI investigation. Neuroimage February 15, 2006
- Functional connectivity in the resting brain: A network analysis of the default mode hypothesis Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 27, 2002