2-Minute Neuroscience: Default Mode Network

Default mode network is a term used to describe interconnected regions of the brain that display suppressed activity during cognitively demanding tasks focused on external stimuli, and higher activity during states of quiet wakefulness and when someone engages in internally focused thought such as daydreaming or the recall of personal experiences. In this video, I discuss the hypothesized anatomy and functions of the default mode network.

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TRANSCRIPT

Default mode network is a term used to describe interconnected regions of the brain that display suppressed activity during cognitively demanding tasks focused on external stimuli, and higher activity during states of quiet wakefulness and when someone engages in internally focused thought such as daydreaming or the recall of personal experiences. There is no consensus on what structures make up the default mode network, but it’s thought to include regions in the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and lateral parietal cortex as well as other structures.

The default mode network's unique pattern of activity was first recognized in the late 1990s, and since then a great deal of research has attempted to understand the anatomy and functions of the network. This research indicates that the default mode network may be active during various internally-focused tasks such as recalling memories, visualizing future events, and making social inferences. Thus, in addition to playing an important role in internally-generated thought, the default mode network may be involved in some of the most advanced forms of human cognition. The default network is a relatively recent concept, however, and as such our understanding of it is still evolving. For instance, data from recent studies suggest that the network may actually consist of multiple distinct networks, which might even have different functional specializations.

The default mode network has been linked to a variety of disorders ranging from ADHD to Alzheimer’s disease, and it has been hypothesized to be affected by certain behaviors like meditation or alcohol consumption. At this point, however, more research needs to be done to fully understand the role of the default mode network in specific psychiatric or behavioral manifestations, as well as to elucidate the basic composition and function of the network or networks.


REFERENCES

Buckner RL, DiNicola LM. The brain's default network: updated anatomy, physiology and evolving insights. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2019 Oct;20(10):593-608. doi: 10.1038/s41583-019-0212-7. Epub 2019 Sep 6. PMID: 31492945.

Menon V. 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis. Neuron. 2023 Aug 16;111(16):2469-2487. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.023. Epub 2023 May 10. PMID: 37167968; PMCID: PMC10524518.

Raichle ME. The brain's default mode network. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2015 Jul 8;38:433-47. doi: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-071013-014030. Epub 2015 May 4. PMID: 25938726.

Smallwood J, Bernhardt BC, Leech R, Bzdok D, Jefferies E, Margulies DS. The default mode network in cognition: a topographical perspective. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2021 Aug;22(8):503-513. doi: 10.1038/s41583-021-00474-4. Epub 2021 Jul 5. PMID: 34226715.


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