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Default mode network research: what the evidence shows

A brain network linked to self-referential thought whose modulation is associated with psychedelic and meditative states.

State of the evidence

Synthesized

Synthesized from 25 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below

Found by searching the library for Default mode network, DMN, default-mode network, then ranked by relevance.

The default mode network (DMN) is a consistent set of cortical regions that is more active at rest than during attention-demanding tasks, and it supports self-referential and social cognition. Across studies it is reliably deactivated during tasks, shows altered connectivity in psychiatric and neurological conditions, and can be modulated by meditation, psychedelics, and other interventions. Most evidence is observational or theoretical, with small samples and little causal or longitudinal data, so claims about intervention effects remain preliminary.

Evidence by study

Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study.

What the directions mean
Supports:
the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
Opposes:
it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
No effect:
no significant difference either way.
Mixed:
effects in both directions within the same study.
Unclear:
the abstract does not report a direction.
Study Design Sample size Direction Finding
A default mode of brain function 2001 observational study Supports Oxygen extraction fraction was uniform in the resting brain, with significant deviations being deactivations mainly in the visual system, supporting a baseline default mode of brain function.
The Brain's Default Mode Network 2015 review Supports The DMN consists of discrete cortical areas across species and consistently decreases activity during attention-demanding tasks compared with rest.
Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network 2008 observational cohort Supports Resting-state functional connectivity within the DMN corresponded to structural connections shown by diffusion tensor tractography.
Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness 2005 observational cohort 20 Supports Meditation practitioners had greater cortical thickness in prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula than controls, with thickness in two regions correlating with meditation experience.
Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology 2012 review Mixed The DMN is often hyperactivated and hyperconnected in schizophrenia and depression, potentially relating to excessive self-reference and negative rumination.
Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity 2011 observational cohort Supports Experienced meditators showed relative deactivation of main DMN nodes across meditation types and stronger coupling between self-monitoring and cognitive control regions, consistent with reduced mind-wandering.
The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs 2014 theoretical Unclear Argues that the psychedelic state is a primary state of consciousness defined by elevated entropy and criticality, with normal waking consciousness suppressing entropy to enable metacognitive functions.
The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis 2008 observational study Supports The precuneus/posterior cingulate region showed strong interaction with the rest of the DMN, while medial temporal lobes interacted strongly with each other but weakly with other regions.
Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality 2008 observational study Supports The vmPFC and PCC nodes of the DMN were functionally differentiated, each anticorrelated with distinct task-positive networks.
Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin 2012 within-subjects, placebo-controlled fMRI study 30 Supports Psilocybin decreased cerebral blood flow and BOLD signal in hub regions including the PCC and mPFC and reduced mPFC-PCC coupling, with the magnitude of ACC/mPFC decrease predicting subjective effect intensity.
Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network 2009 experimental fMRI study Supports A common DMN activation pattern underlay autobiographical remembering, prospection, and theory-of-mind reasoning, with differential engagement of midline versus lateral DMN regions.
The default mode network in cognition: a topographical perspective 2021 theoretical Unclear Proposes that understanding the topographic characteristics of the DMN can clarify how it contributes to cognition and behavior.
20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis 2023 review Supports Argues that the DMN integrates and broadcasts memory, language, and semantic representations to create a coherent internal narrative central to the sense of self and consciousness.
The salience network is responsible for switching between the default mode network and the central executive network: Replication from DCM 2014 observational study Supports The salience network drives switching between the DMN and the central executive network, replicated across two independent datasets.
On the relationship between the “default mode network” and the “social brain” 2012 review Supports The DMN is activated by social cognition tasks and overlaps with social brain networks, and a DMN exists in non-human primates.
The vagus nerve drives cognitive function through the default mode network 2026 animal experimental study Supports Vagus nerve stimulation activated DMN neuronal ensembles via locus coeruleus subpopulations, and activating or silencing these ensembles replicated or abolished VNS-induced cognitive enhancement.
Extending metabolic considerations to the default mode network. 2026 theoretical commentary Unclear Argues that the DMN's elevated aerobic glycolysis constitutes a metabolic constraint on spontaneous thought, predicting load-dependent phenomenological shifts through inter-network resource competition.
Dynamic reconfiguration of directed effective connectivity between attention networks and the default mode network in knee osteoarthritis: a combined resting-state and non-noxious thermal stimulation functional magnetic resonance imaging study 2026 cross-sectional neuroimaging study 184 Mixed Knee osteoarthritis was associated with reduced directed inputs to the dorsal attention network and increased directed drive toward the DMN at rest, with altered reconfiguration during non-noxious thermal stimulation.
A cascade of attentional and default mode network dynamics following the resolution of perceptual ambiguity 2026 observational fMRI study 6 Supports After spontaneous perceptual reversals, dorsal attention and visual network contrasts peaked around 4 seconds alongside a negative DMN contrast, suggesting interplay between attentional control and DMN.
Decoding representations of personally familiar others in the default mode network 2026 observational fMRI study 113 Supports Neural activity patterns in the DMN allowed above-chance decoding of which personally familiar person a participant was thinking about, even without faces or voices.
A Spiking Neural Network Model of Elementary Self-Consciousness via Endogenous Default Mode Network Dynamics 2026 computational modeling study Unclear Proposes that a spiking network with an intrinsically bursting DMN pacemaker driven by tonic neuromodulatory currents can produce a persistent, self-sustaining representation of self.
Weaker functional segregation of the sensory and default mode networks in trauma-related intrusive memories 2026 observational study 108 Supports A shorter functional distance between the DMN and sensory cortices was associated with greater vividness and intrusiveness of trauma-related intrusive memories, though not with clinician-rated symptom severity.
Longitudinal Changes in Hippocampal-Default Mode Network Connectivity and Cognition During Electroacupuncture Intervention in Type 2 Diabetes-Associated Cognitive Decline: A Pilot Resting-State fMRI Study. 2026 open-label uncontrolled pilot study 20 Mixed After 8 weeks of electroacupuncture, MoCA scores increased and several hippocampal-DMN and intra-DMN resting-state connections decreased, presented as preliminary hypothesis-generating observations.
The Association Between Loss of Consciousness and the Default Mode Network at the Chronic Stage of Diffuse Axonal Injury: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study 2026 observational cross-sectional study 21 No effect No diffusion tensor tractography measure of DMN connectivity reached statistical significance after covariate adjustment, with only marginal trends for loss-of-consciousness duration.
Default mode network functional connectivity following treatment with conventional antidepressants and (es)ketamine in major depressive disorder: A systematic review 2026 systematic review Mixed Conventional antidepressants showed heterogeneous changes in DMN resting-state connectivity, some related to clinical improvement, whereas ketamine was mostly associated with reductions in DMN-limbic connectivity.

Points of agreement

  • The DMN is a consistent set of cortical regions that is more active at rest than during attention-demanding tasks.
  • DMN activity supports self-referential, autobiographical, social, and internally generated cognition.
  • DMN connectivity is altered in psychiatric and neurological conditions, including depression, schizophrenia, trauma-related intrusions, and chronic pain.
  • DMN nodes can be modulated by interventions such as meditation, psilocybin, ketamine, and vagus nerve stimulation.

Conflicts

  • Some work treats the DMN as a task-negative network, while other studies show it is activated by social cognition and complex cognitive tasks.
  • Conventional antidepressants show heterogeneous DMN effects, whereas ketamine is mostly associated with reduced DMN connectivity.
  • One study found no significant DMN connectivity associations with loss of consciousness after adjustment, while others report DMN alterations in clinical conditions.

Gaps

  • Most evidence is observational, cross-sectional, or theoretical, with few randomized or longitudinal designs.
  • Sample sizes are often small, and several studies are pilot or exploratory.
  • Causal direction between DMN changes and clinical symptoms or cognitive outcomes is largely untested.
  • Durability of intervention-related DMN changes is rarely assessed.
  • Findings in animal models and computational models have not been translated to human clinical outcomes.
Browse these studies in the library

Common questions

What does the research agree on about default mode network?
  • The DMN is a consistent set of cortical regions that is more active at rest than during attention-demanding tasks.
  • DMN activity supports self-referential, autobiographical, social, and internally generated cognition.
  • DMN connectivity is altered in psychiatric and neurological conditions, including depression, schizophrenia, trauma-related intrusions, and chronic pain.
  • DMN nodes can be modulated by interventions such as meditation, psilocybin, ketamine, and vagus nerve stimulation.
Where do studies on default mode network conflict?
  • Some work treats the DMN as a task-negative network, while other studies show it is activated by social cognition and complex cognitive tasks.
  • Conventional antidepressants show heterogeneous DMN effects, whereas ketamine is mostly associated with reduced DMN connectivity.
  • One study found no significant DMN connectivity associations with loss of consciousness after adjustment, while others report DMN alterations in clinical conditions.
What is still unknown about default mode network?
  • Most evidence is observational, cross-sectional, or theoretical, with few randomized or longitudinal designs.
  • Sample sizes are often small, and several studies are pilot or exploratory.
  • Causal direction between DMN changes and clinical symptoms or cognitive outcomes is largely untested.
  • Durability of intervention-related DMN changes is rarely assessed.
  • Findings in animal models and computational models have not been translated to human clinical outcomes.
How we analyze this

This synthesis reads the 15 most-cited and 10 most recent studies whose primary subject is Default mode network, up to 25 in all. The most-cited set anchors the established evidence, and the recent set surfaces work that is too new to have gathered citations yet.

A study qualifies only when Default mode network or a known alias appears in its title or keywords, so broad reviews that mention it only in passing are left out. Each study is read from its abstract, strongest evidence first, and the summary reports the direction of the results along with any conflicts and gaps.

The full method, including what a person does and does not review, is on the methods page.

Ask your own question in the Research Synthesis Tool

Latest monthly recap: September 2026 →

1,549 articles · 509 from the last two years · 158,793 participants across 694 studies reporting sample size

Common study designs

review 174 observational study 106 observational cohort 257 randomized controlled trial 69 theoretical or philosophical paper 187

Research volume by year

Compare topics →

814 studies whose primary subject is default mode network since 2005

Studies about default mode network per year, 2005 to 2026, peaking at 148 in 2026 Bar chart: one bar per year, taller where more studies were published that year. 0 100 200 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
2026 is partial
Show the numbers
Studies about default mode network per year, 2005 to 2026, peaking at 148 in 2026
Year Studies
2005 1
2006 0
2007 1
2008 8
2009 13
2010 14
2011 25
2012 19
2013 24
2014 28
2015 31
2016 34
2017 32
2018 82
2019 33
2020 32
2021 35
2022 51
2023 79
2024 42
2025 82
2026 148

Research

Synthesize the evidence → Search all →

Theta-burst stimulation of a default mode network node modulates extended-amygdala connectivity and pre-sleep rumination

SLEEP Advances October 21, 2026 Alisa Huskey, Jungwon Cha, Lindsey L Hildebrand et al.

Abstract Dysfunction in default mode network (DMN) connectivity plays a role in the etiology and maintenance of insomnia symptoms. Negative self-referential thinking is a perpetuating factor of insomnia that has been linked with DMN connectivity. The Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis (BNST), part of the extended-amygdala pathway, facilitates cognitive and physiological hyperarousal. We...

DOI: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpag116 (opens in new tab)

The vagus nerve drives cognitive function through the default mode network

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) October 15, 2026 Musashi Yamakawa, 博之 吉留, Haruki Kawagoe et al. preprint

The afferent vagus nerve transmits interoceptive signals to the brain but a systematic understanding of how vagal signals affect brain-wide neuronal dynamics remains elusive. Here, comprehensive spatiotemporal analyses across the entire mouse brain revealed that vagus nerve stimulation activated neuronal ensembles within the default mode network (DMN). In contrast, vagal-independent mechanisms...

DOI: 10.64898/2026.10.08.757463 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab)

Extending metabolic considerations to the default mode network.

Behavioral and Brain Sciences October 2, 2026 Yi-Sheng Wong

Haueis and Colaço distinguish evaluative and generative roles for metabolic considerations in cognitive modeling. I extend this framework to the default mode network, arguing that this network's elevated aerobic glycolysis constitutes a metabolic constraint on spontaneous thought. This constraint shapes the richness of spontaneous thought across varying task demands and predicts load-dependent...

DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x26106074 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab)

A cascade of attentional and default mode network dynamics following the resolution of perceptual ambiguity

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) October 1, 2026 Adam P.D. Ponzi, Katsunori Miyahara, Keisuke Suzuki preprint

The neural mechanisms underlying spontaneous perceptual switches during bistable perception, particularly the dynamic interplay between large-scale brain networks, remain incompletely understood. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in six participants and a bistable kinetic depth effect (KDE) stimulus, we investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of brain activity associated...

DOI: 10.64898/2026.09.26.754627 (opens in new tab)

Dynamic reconfiguration of directed effective connectivity between attention networks and the default mode network in knee osteoarthritis: a combined resting-state and non-noxious thermal stimulation functional magnetic resonance imaging study

The Korean journal of pain October 1, 2026 Weiming Luo, Jun Zhou, Shirui Cheng et al.

Background: Chronic pain is understood as a disturbance of large-scale brain-network organization involving systems that coordinate internally and externally oriented processing. In knee osteoarthritis (KOA), altered connectivity involving attention networks and the default mode network (DMN) has been reported, but directed organization and reconfiguration during non-noxious somatosensory input...

DOI: 10.3344/kjp.26221 (opens in new tab)

Decoding representations of personally familiar others in the default mode network

Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience September 28, 2026 Taylor D. Guthrie, Aussie D. Frost, Robert S. Chavez

The human brain's ability to form and maintain rich internal representations of personally familiar others, even in the absence of direct sensory input, is a prominent feature of social cognition. We tested whether the identity of familiar individuals can be decoded from neural activity patterns elicited during internally generated reflection. Using a round-robin fMRI design (N = 113; 20 groups...

DOI: 10.3758/s13415-026-01495-1 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab)

A Spiking Neural Network Model of Elementary Self-Consciousness via Endogenous Default Mode Network Dynamics

September 24, 2026 R. Lahoz-Beltra

Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying self-referential cognition and baseline self-consciousness remains a fundamental challenge in computational neuroscience. In this work, we propose a large-scale computational model incorporating a 10,000-neuron spiking neural network (SNN) based on Izhikevich dynamics. The network is structured into two interacting subsystems: a sensory...

Weaker functional segregation of the sensory and default mode networks in trauma-related intrusive memories

medRxiv September 23, 2026 Kevin J. Clancy, Boyu Ren, Isabelle M. Rosso preprint

Trauma-related intrusive memories (TRIMs) are a core symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder and cause significant distress and impairment for trauma-exposed individuals due to their vivid sensory features that intrude on ongoing thought. These phenomenological properties point to a neuropathology that spans autobiographical memory, spontaneous thought, and sensory perception. The hierarchical...

DOI: 10.64898/2026.09.18.26363166 (opens in new tab)

Longitudinal Changes in Hippocampal-Default Mode Network Connectivity and Cognition During Electroacupuncture Intervention in Type 2 Diabetes-Associated Cognitive Decline: A Pilot Resting-State fMRI Study.

Journal of Integrative Neuroscience September 21, 2026 Lin Yao, Meng-Yuan Li, Yan-Ze Liu et al.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus-associated cognitive dysfunction (T2DACD) is strongly linked to disruption of cognition-supporting brain networks. Electroacupuncture (EA) has increasingly been examined as a nonpharmacological intervention targeting cognitive impairment; however, the longitudinal neurobiological patterns accompanying EA in T2DACD have not been fully characterized. In this exploratory...

DOI: 10.31083/jin52929 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Default mode network Cognitive dysfunction Electroacupuncture Hippocampus +1

Default mode network functional connectivity following treatment with conventional antidepressants and (es)ketamine in major depressive disorder: A systematic review

Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging September 17, 2026 Juliana Lima Constantino, Jesca E. de Jager, Jasper O. Nuninga et al.

Antidepressant treatments, including conventional antidepressants and (es)ketamine, may reverse default mode network (DMN) resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) alterations related to major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite these agents having distinct initial action mechanisms, both likely share downstream effects that lead to structural and functional adaptations in MDD-related neural...

DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112333 (opens in new tab)