The Default Mode Network Differentiates Biological From Non-Biological Motion

Abstract

The default mode network (DMN) has been implicated in an array of social-cognitive functions, including self-referential processing, theory of mind, and mentalizing. Yet, the properties of the external stimuli that elicit DMN activity in relation to these domains remain unknown. Previous studies suggested that motion kinematics is utilized by the brain for social-cognitive processing. Here, we used functional MRI to examine whether the DMN is sensitive to parametric manipulations of observed motion kinematics. Preferential responses within core DMN structures differentiating non-biological from biological kinematics were observed for the motion of a realistically looking, human-like avatar, but not for an abstract object devoid of human form. Differences in connectivity patterns during the observation of biological versus non-biological kinematics were additionally observed. Finally, the results additionally suggest that the DMN is coupled more strongly with key nodes in the action observation network, namely the STS and the SMA, when the observed motion depicts human rather than abstract form. These findings are the first to implicate the DMN in the perception of biological motion. They may reflect the type of information used by the DMN in social-cognitive processing.

Disruption of network for visual perception of natural motion in primary dystonia

“…As shown in Figure a ( inset ), the deactivated regions, which were localized to the vmPFC, posterior cingulate gyrus, and precuneus, corresponded closely to a published DMN pattern identified using resting‐state fMRI scan data (Wang et al, ). The close covariance relationship of these regions to the subspace of activated VPRP nodes is consistent with recent findings implicating the DMN in the perception of biological motion (Dayan et al, ). The degree to which the deficits in VPRP modulation seen in dystonia are a consequence of inherent DMN pathology is not known.…”

“…In a recent report, biological motion perception was linked to the default mode network (DMN) (Dayan et al, ). We therefore used voxel‐based correlation analysis (Ko, Spetsieris, Ma, Dhawan, & Eidelberg, ) to evaluate the topographic relationship between the VPRP and a probabilistic DMN template described previously using resting‐state fMRI and independent component analysis (ICA) (Wang et al, ).…”

Distinct neural bases of disruptive behavior and autism symptom severity in boys with autism spectrum disorder

“…Accurate perception of biological motion requires individuals to first track motion timings, then integrate perceived timings into a coherent kinematic framework for higher-order processing. Consistent with this notion, previous research showed that DMN deactivation was necessary for healthy adults in order to process biological motion [41]. …”

Adaptive contextualization: A new role for the default mode network in affective learning

“…It is yet unclear how these different forms of safety learning are related to each other and more research is necessary to address this question. Based on our results, we suggest that the DMN might constitute a high‐level form of safety learning that integrates other cognitive functions involved in threat and safety processing, such as perception, attention, cognitive inhibition, and higher‐order reasoning, as well as working and long‐term memory [Anderson et al, ; Dayan et al, ; Elton and Gao, ]. The DMN's functional profile, the rich‐club properties of its hub regions (especially the medial prefrontal and medial temporal cortices), as well as its effective, global structural connectivity make it well suited for such an integrated, contextual form of safety learning [Van den Heuvel and Sporns, ; Vatansever et al, ].…”