Regional excitation-inhibition balance predicts default-mode network deactivation via functional connectivity.
Hong Gu, Yuzheng Hu, Xi Chen, Yong He, Yihong Yang
Neuroimage October 22, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.10.055 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional fMRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Measures | n-back working memory task fMRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Nerve net Humans Magnetic resonance imaging Brain mapping Magnetic resonance spectroscopy Memory, short-term Adolescent Middle aged Female Young adult Executive function FMRI Functional connectivity Task-based deactivation |
| Key findings | Task-induced deactivation in the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus was greater in participants with a lower glutamate/GABA ratio, stronger intra-DMN connectivity, and stronger antagonistic DMN-salience/executive control network connections. DMN-salience network functional interactions partially mediated the relationship between task-induced deactivation and excitation-inhibition balance at the PCC/PCu. |
Abstract
Deactivation of the default mode network (DMN) is one of the most reliable observations from neuroimaging and has significant implications in development, aging, and various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the neural mechanism underlying DMN deactivation remains elusive. As the coordination of regional neurochemical substrates and interregional neural interactions are both essential in support of brain functions, a quantitative description of how they impact DMN deactivation may provide new insights into the mechanism. Using an n-back working memory task fMRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we probed the pairwise relationship between task-induced deactivation, interregional functional connectivity and regional excitation-inhibition balance (evaluated by glutamate/GABA ratio) in the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/PCu). Task-induced PCC/PCu deactivation correlated with its excitation-inhibition balance and interregional functional connectivity, where participants with lower glutamate/GABA ratio, stronger intra-DMN connections and stronger antagonistic DMN-SN (salience network)/ECN (executive control network) inter-network connections had greater PCC/PCu deactivation. Mediation analyses revealed that the DMN-SN functional interactions partially mediated the relationship between task-induced deactivation and the excitation-inhibition balance at the PCC/PCu. The triple-relationship discovered in the present study has the potential to bridge DMN-deactivation related findings from various neuroimaging modalities and may provide new insights into the neural mechanism of DMN deactivation. Moreover, this finding may have significant implications for neuropsychiatric disorders related to the DMN dysfunction and suggests an integrated application of pharmacological and neuromodulation-based strategies for rescuing DMN deactivation deficits.
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 3
- Task-evoked metabolic demands of the posteromedial default mode network are shaped by dorsal attention and frontoparietal control networks. Elife May 25, 2023
- Subcortical control of the default mode network: Role of the basal forebrain and implications for neuropsychiatric disorders Brain Research Bulletin May 1, 2022
- Biophysical mechanism of the interaction between default mode network and working memory network Cognitive Neurodynamics December 1, 2021
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