The role of the default mode network in component processes underlying the wandering mind

Poerio, Giulia L.; Sormaz, Mladen; Wang, Hao-Ting; Margulies, Daniel S.; Jefferies, Elizabeth; Smallwood, Jonathan

doi:10.1093/scan/nsx041

Cited by 128 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 88 publications

(136 reference statements)

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“…Although determining the specific functional processes of the metastates identified by Vidaurre et al (1) is challenging since they occur at rest, we do note recent studies have linked patterns of integration at rest within both the DMN and FPN as important for different types of spontaneous thoughts (21)(22)(23)(24)(25). It is possible, therefore, that the fractional occupancy of the transmodal metastate may reflect types of spontaneous thought that derive their content from memory (26). The hypothesis that the DMN is relevant when cognition requires information from memory can account for many conditions that activate this system.…”

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confidence: 72%

Converging evidence for the role of transmodal cortex in cognition

Margulies

Smallwood

2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The studies by Vidaurre et al. (1) and Vatansever et al. (2) in PNAS provide contrasting, yet complementary insights into the role that regions of transmodal cortex, including those in the default mode network (DMN) (3) and the fronto-parietal network (FPN) (4), play in cognition.Vatansever et al. (2) used task-based fMRI to illustrate how the DMN and FPN work collectively to guide complex behavior. In their study, participants performed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST) (5) while brain activity was measured using fMRI. In this task, participants sort shapes based on features (color, shape, or number). The feature is not revealed to the participant at the outset of a block of trials, and must instead be learned based on feedback presented after each trial. The feedback is used to identify the current feature rule, which is then applied on subsequent trials. Periodically, the rule changes and feedback is used to update the current goal representation. Vatansever et al. (2) demonstrate that the FPN is active after a rule change-the "acquisition phase"-suggesting its involvement in encoding the contingencies upon which the sorting decision is based. In later sections of the block-the "application phase"-when the individual understands the rule, activity within the FPN is reduced, and activity within the DMN increases (Fig. 1A). Therefore, the activity within the DMN corresponds to periods when contingencies determining cognitive decisions are established. Additionally, and importantly, Vatansever et al. (2) show that patterns of increased DMN connectivity are also linked to better response latency during correct trials. Together, these results corroborate recent studies showing that the DMN supports external task processing when behavior depends on preexisting representations guiding cognition (6-9).Using resting-state fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project (10), Vidaurre et al. (1) apply a hidden Markov model (HMM) (11) that exploits the spatiotemporal patterns in activity to infer a number of different brain states. Vidaurre et al. (1) show that the time spent in each state, known as "fractional occupancy," remains consistent across different scanning sessions and is heritable. The ability to use HMMs to identify states based on intrinsic dynamics captured by fMRI constitutes an advance in our ability to characterize the nature of ongoing brain activity, providing an intuitive method for understanding how neurocognitive processing can be understood as a succession of neurocognitive states (12, 13).One observation emerging from the analysis of Vidaurre et al. (1) is that specific states are hierarchically organized, forming temporal groupings referred to as "metastates." These reflect a dissociation between states anchored by regions of the cortex concerned (2). (B) Metastates described using a HMM applied to resting-state fMRI data (1), as well as two example states from metastate 1 (Bottom Left) and metastate 2 (Bottom Right).

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confidence: 72%

Converging evidence for the role of transmodal cortex in cognition

Margulies

Smallwood

2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…The mind can start to wander away from the immediate external environment during periods of wakeful rest (akin to task-free, resting-state) as well as during mental activities with externally imposed constraints (akin to experimental task settings). Indeed, the neural underpinnings of MW have been investigated separately in resting-state studies (Doucet et al, 2012;Godwin et al, 2017;Gorgolewski et al, 2014;Poerio et al, 2017;Turnbull et al, 2019;Van Calster, D'Argembeau, Salmon, Peters, & Majerus, 2017; ing the brain dynamics related to MW during rest and task (Christoff et al, 2016;Kucyi, 2017;Zabelina & Andrews-Hanna, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic brain network configurations during rest and an attention task with frequent occurrence of mind wandering

Denkova

Nomi

Uddin

et al. 2019

Human Brain Mapping

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Mind wandering (MW) has become a prominent topic of neuroscientific investigation due to the importance of understanding attentional processes in our day‐to‐day experiences. Emerging evidence suggests a critical role for three large‐scale brain networks in MW: the default network (DN), the central executive network (CEN), and the salience network (SN). Advances in analytical methods for neuroimaging data (i.e., dynamic functional connectivity, DFC) demonstrate that the interactions between these networks are not static but dynamically fluctuate over time (Chang & Glover, 2010, NeuroImage, 50(1), 81–98). While the bulk of the evidence comes from studies involving resting‐state functional MRI, a few studies have investigated DFC during a task. Direct comparison of DFC during rest and task with frequent MW is scarce. The present study applies the DFC method to neuroimaging data collected from 30 participants who completed a resting‐state run followed by two runs of sustained attention to response task (SART) with embedded probes indicating a high prevalence of MW. The analysis identified five DFC states. Differences between rest and task were noted in the frequency of three DFC states. One DFC state characterized by negative DN–CEN/SN connectivity along with positive CEN–SN connectivity was more frequently observed during task vs. rest. Two DFC states, one of which was characterized by weaker connectivity between networks, were more frequently observed during rest than task. These findings suggest that the dynamic relationships between brain networks may vary as a function of whether ongoing cognitive activity unfolds in an “unconstrained” manner during rest or is “constrained” by task demands.

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“…Ongoing thought is not always directed to events taking place in the external environment or the task being performed, but is often devoted to information generated from internal representations, such as episodic or semantic memories [1][2][3][4] . These off-task experiences are common in the lab [5][6][7][8] and daily life [9][10][11][12] , and can vary in their content [13][14][15][16] and more abstract features such as metacognitive awareness [17][18][19] and their links with intention [20][21][22][23] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distinct neural markers for intentional and unintentional task unrelated thought

Martel

Arvaneh

Robertson

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Studies suggest that generating thought unrelated to the task in hand is accompanied by a reduction of attention to external task-relevant information. This observations led contemporary theory to suggest multiple component processes contribute to patterns of ongoing thought. The present study used EEG to seek support for these component-process accounts by examining the neural correlates of deliberate and spontaneous task unrelated thought. EEG activity was compared prior to reports of ongoing thought during a test of sustained attention. Event-related potentials, such as the P3, were attenuated during off-task states, regardless of whether they were intentional or not. In contrast, increased alpha power and cortical phase-locking were linked to deliberate off-task thoughts, while reductions of evoked sensory response were prevalent in spontaneous off-task episodes. These data suggest off-task thought shares common and distinct neural features that are differentiated through their relationship to intention, supporting component process accounts of ongoing thought.

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The role of the default mode network in component processes underlying the wandering mind

Cited by 128 publications

References 88 publications

Converging evidence for the role of transmodal cortex in cognition

Converging evidence for the role of transmodal cortex in cognition

Dynamic brain network configurations during rest and an attention task with frequent occurrence of mind wandering

Distinct neural markers for intentional and unintentional task unrelated thought

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