Mind wandering perspective on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Natali S Bozhilova, Giorgia Michelini, Jonna Kuntsi, Philip Asherson
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews September 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | ADHD Executive control network Mind wandering Theory |
| Key findings | Argues that excessive, spontaneous mind wandering—driven by altered default mode network deactivation and dysfunctional interaction with the executive control network—underpins ADHD symptoms and impairments. Proposes that deficient context regulation, sensory decoupling, and salience thresholds contribute, and that mind-wandering measures could serve as markers of the disease process and a potential endophenotype. |
Abstract
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder associated with a range of mental health, neurocognitive and functional problems. Although the diagnosis is based on descriptions of behaviour, individuals with ADHD characteristically describe excessive spontaneous mind wandering (MW). MW in individuals with ADHD reflects constant mental activity which lacks topic stability and content consistency. Based on this review of the neural correlates of ADHD and MW, we outline a new perspective on ADHD: the MW hypothesis. We propose that altered deactivation of the default mode network, and dysfunctional interaction with the executive control network, leads to excessive and spontaneous MW, which underpins symptoms and impairments of ADHD. We highlight that processes linked to the normal neural regulation of MW (context regulation, sensory decoupling, salience thresholds) are deficient in ADHD. MW-related measures could serve as markers of the disease process, as MW can be experimentally manipulated, as well as measured using rating scales, and experience sampling during both cognitive tasks and daily life. MW may therefore be a potential endophenotype.
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 8
- Resting State Functional Connectivity Associated With Sahaja Yoga Meditation Frontiers in Human Neuroscience March 16, 2021
- Educating Through Attentional States of Consciousness, an Effective Way to Develop Creative Potential? Frontiers in Education March 17, 2022
- A Fragmented Mind: Altered States of Consciousness and Spirit Possession Between Rituals and Therapy. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science July 30, 2025
- Large-scale brain network differences during deliberate and spontaneous mind-wandering in a sustained attention task: An electroencephalography source-level connectivity study bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) January 23, 2026
- Cognitive States while Mind Wandering and Associated Alterations in Time Perception August 1, 2022
and 3 more in the library
Cites 15
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 26, 2009
- The wandering brain: Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies of mind-wandering and related spontaneous thought processes Neuroimage February 25, 2015
- Not all minds that wander are lost: the importance of a balanced perspective on the mind-wandering state Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Cooperation between the default mode network and the frontal–parietal network in the production of an internal train of thought Brain Research April 15, 2011
- The Default Mode Network in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Brain Connectivity December 5, 2016
and 10 more in the library