default mode network

Hans Berger, the inventor of the electroencephalogram, was the first to propose the idea that the brain is constantly busy. In a series of papers published in 1929, he showed that the electrical oscillations detected by his device do not cease even when the subject is at rest. However, his ideas were not taken seriously, and a general perception formed among neurologists that only when a focused activity is performed does the brain (or a part of the brain) become active.{{Cite journal |last=Raichle |first=Marcus |date=March 2010 |title=The Brain's Dark Energy |journal=Scientific American |volume=302 |issue=3 |pages=44–49 |bibcode=2010SciAm.302c..44R |doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0310-44 |pmid=20184182}}

But in the 1950s, Louis Sokoloff and his colleagues noticed that metabolism in the brain stayed the same when a person went from a resting state to performing effortful math problems, suggesting active metabolism in the brain must also be happening during rest. In the 1970s, David H. Ingvar and colleagues observed blood flow in the front part of the brain became the highest when a person is at rest. Around the same time, intrinsic oscillatory behavior in vertebrate neurons was observed in cerebellar Purkinje cells, inferior olivary nucleus and thalamus.{{Cite journal |last=Llinas |first=R. R. |year=2014 |title=Intrinsic electrical properties of mammalian neurons and CNS function: a historical perspective |journal=Front Cell Neurosci |volume=8 |page=320 |doi=10.3389/fncel.2014.00320 |pmc=4219458 |pmid=25408634 |doi-access=free}}

In the 1990s, with the advent of positron emission tomography (PET) scans, researchers began to notice that when a person is involved in perception, language, and attention tasks, the same brain areas become less active compared to passive rest, and labeled these areas as becoming "deactivated".

In 1995, Bharat Biswal, a graduate student at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, discovered that the human sensorimotor system displayed "resting-state connectivity," exhibiting synchronicity in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans while not engaged in any task.{{Cite journal |last1=Biswal |first1=B |last2=Yetkin |first2=F. Z. |last3=Haughton |first3=V. M. |last4=Hyde |first4=J. S. |year=1995 |title=Functional connectivity in the motor cortex of resting human brain using echoplanar MRI. |journal=Magn Reson Med |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=537–541 |doi=10.1002/mrm.1910340409 |pmid=8524021 |s2cid=775793}}{{Cite journal |last=Shen |first=H. H. |year=2015 |title=Core Concepts: Resting State Connectivity |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=112 |issue=46 |pages=14115–14116 |bibcode=2015PNAS..11214115S |doi=10.1073/pnas.1518785112 |pmc=4655520 |pmid=26578753 |doi-access=free}}

Later, experiments by neurologist Marcus E. Raichle's lab at Washington University School of Medicine and other groups showed that the brain's energy consumption is increased by less than 5% of its baseline energy consumption while performing a focused mental task. These experiments showed that the brain is constantly active with a high level of activity even when the person is not engaged in focused mental work. Research thereafter focused on finding the regions responsible for this constant background activity level.

Raichle coined the term "default mode" in 2001 to describe resting state brain function;{{Cite journal |last1=Raichle |first1=M. E. |last2=MacLeod |first2=A. M. |last3=Snyder |first3=A. Z. |last4=Powers |first4=W. J. |last5=Gusnard |first5=D. A. |last6=Shulman |first6=G. L. |year=2001 |title=Inaugural Article: A default mode of brain function |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=98 |issue=2 |pages=676–82 |bibcode=2001PNAS...98..676R |doi=10.1073/pnas.98.2.676 |pmc=14647 |pmid=11209064 |doi-access=free}} the concept rapidly became a central theme in neuroscience.{{Cite journal |last1=Raichle |first1=Marcus E. |last2=Snyder |first2=Abraham Z. |year=2007 |title=A default mode of brain function: A brief history of an evolving idea |journal=NeuroImage |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=1083–90 |doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.02.041 |pmid=17719799 |s2cid=3380973}} Around this time the idea was developed that this network of brain areas is involved in internally directed thoughts and is suspended during specific goal-directed behaviors. In 2003, Greicius and colleagues examined resting state fMRI scans and looked at how correlated different sections in the brain are to each other. Their correlation maps highlighted the same areas already identified by the other researchers. This was important because it demonstrated a convergence of methods all leading to the same areas being involved in the DMN. Since then other networks have been identified, such as visual, auditory, and attention networks. Some of them are often anti-correlated with the default mode network.{{Cite journal |last1=Broyd |first1=Samantha J. |last2=Demanuele |first2=Charmaine |last3=Debener |first3=Stefan |last4=Helps |first4=Suzannah K. |last5=James |first5=Christopher J. |last6=Sonuga-Barke |first6=Edmund J. S. |year=2009 |title=Default-mode brain dysfunction in mental disorders: A systematic review |journal=Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=279–96 |doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.09.002 |pmid=18824195 |s2cid=7175805}}

Until the mid-2000s, researchers labeled the default mode network as the "task-negative network" because it was deactivated when participants had to perform external goal-directed tasks. DMN was thought to only be active during passive rest and inactive during tasks. However, more recent studies have demonstrated the DMN to be active in certain internal goal-directed tasks such as social working memory and autobiographical tasks.

Around 2007, the number of papers referencing the default mode network skyrocketed. In all years prior to 2007, there were 12 papers published that referenced "default mode network" or "default network" in the title; however, between 2007 and 2014 the number increased to 1,384 papers. One reason for the increase in papers was the robust effect of finding the DMN with resting-state scans and independent component analysis (ICA). Another reason was that the DMN could be measured with short and effortless resting-state scans, meaning they could be performed on any population including young children, clinical populations, and nonhuman primates. A third reason was that the role of the DMN was now understood to be more than just a passive brain network.

{{Expert needed|neuroscience|ex2=anatomy|talk=Problems_with_Anatomy_section|date=February 2023}}File:Default-network-graph-maturation.jpeg

The default mode network is an interconnected and anatomically defined set of brain regions. The network can be separated into hubs and subsections:

Functional hubs:{{Cite journal |last1=Andrews-Hanna |first1=Jessica R. |last2=Smallwood |first2=Jonathan |last3=Spreng |first3=R. Nathan |date=1 May 2014 |title=The default network and self-generated thought: component processes, dynamic control, and clinical relevance |journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |volume=1316 |issue=1 |pages=29–52 |bibcode=2014NYASA1316...29A |doi=10.1111/nyas.12360 |issn=1749-6632 |pmc=4039623 |pmid=24502540}} Information regarding the self

• Posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) & precuneus: Combines bottom-up (not controlled) attention with information from memory and perception. The ventral (lower) part of PCC activates in all tasks which involve the DMN including those related to the self, related to others, remembering the past, thinking about the future, and processing concepts plus spatial navigation. The dorsal (upper) part of PCC involves involuntary awareness and arousal. The precuneus is involved in visual, sensorimotor, and attentional information.
• Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC): Decisions about self-processing such as personal information, autobiographical memories, future goals and events, and decision making regarding those personally very close such as family. The ventral (lower) part is involved in positive emotional information and internally valued reward.
• Angular gyrus: Connects perception, attention, spatial cognition, and action and helps with parts of recall of episodic memories.

Dorsal medial subsystem: Thinking about others

• Functional hubs: PCC, mPFC, and angular gyrus
• Dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC): Involved in social directed thought such as determining or inferring the purpose of others' actions
• Temporoparietal junction (TPJ): Reflects on beliefs about others, also known as theory of mind
• Lateral temporal cortex: Retrieval of social semantic and conceptual knowledge
• Anterior temporal pole: Abstract conceptual information particularly social in nature

Medial temporal subsystem: Autobiographical memory and future simulations

• Functional hubs: PCC, mPFC, and angular gyrus
• Hippocampus (HF+): Formation of new memories as well as remembering the past and imagining the future
• Parahippocampus (PHC): Spatial and scene recognition and simulation
• Retrosplenial cortex (RSC): Spatial navigation{{Cite journal |last1=Roseman |first1=Moshe |last2=Elias |first2=Uri |last3=Kletenik |first3=Isaiah |last4=Ferguson |first4=Michael A. |last5=Fox |first5=Michael D. |last6=Horowitz |first6=Zalman |last7=Marshall |first7=Gad A. |last8=Spiers |first8=Hugo J. |last9=Arzy |first9=Shahar |date=2023-12-13 |title=A neural circuit for spatial orientation derived from brain lesions |journal=Cerebral Cortex |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=bhad486 |doi=10.1093/cercor/bhad486 |issn=1460-2199 |pmid=38100330|pmc=10793567 }}
• Posterior inferior parietal lobe (pIPL): Junction of auditory, visual, and somatosensory information and attention

The default mode network is most commonly defined with resting state data by putting a seed in the posterior cingulate cortex and examining which other brain areas most correlate with this area.{{Cite journal |last1=Greicius |first1=Michael D. |last2=Krasnow |first2=Ben |last3=Reiss |first3=Allan L. |last4=Menon |first4=Vinod |date=7 January 2003 |title=Functional connectivity in the resting brain: a network analysis of the default mode hypothesis |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=100 |issue=1 |pages=253–258 |bibcode=2003PNAS..100..253G |doi=10.1073/pnas.0135058100 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=140943 |pmid=12506194 |doi-access=free}} The DMN can also be defined by the areas deactivated during external directed tasks compared to rest. Independent component analysis (ICA) robustly finds the DMN for individuals and across groups, and has become the standard tool for mapping the default network.{{Cite journal |last1=Kiviniemi |first1=Vesa J. |last2=Kantola |first2=Juha-Heikki |last3=Jauhiainen |first3=Jukka |last4=Hyvärinen |first4=Aapo |last5=Tervonen |first5=Osmo |date=2003 |title=Independent component analysis of nondeterministic fMRI signal sources |journal=NeuroImage |volume=19 |issue=2 Pt 1 |pages=253–260 |doi=10.1016/S1053-8119(03)00097-1 |pmid=12814576 |s2cid=17110486}}{{Cite journal |last1=De Luca |first1=M |last2=Beckmann |first2=CF |last3=De Stefano |first3=N |last4=Matthews |first4=PM |last5=Smith |first5=SM |date=15 February 2006 |title=fMRI resting state networks define distinct modes of long-distance interactions in the human brain |journal=NeuroImage |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=1359–1367 |doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.08.035 |pmid=16260155 |s2cid=16193549}}

It has been shown that the default mode network exhibits the highest overlap in its structural and functional connectivity, which suggests that the structural architecture of the brain may be built in such a way that this particular network is activated by default. Recent evidence from a population brain-imaging study of 10,000 UK Biobank participants further suggests that each DMN node can be decomposed into subregions with complementary structural and functional properties. It has been a widespread practice in DMN research to treat its constituent nodes to be functionally homogeneous, but the distinction between subnodes within each major DMN node has mostly been neglected. However, the close proximity of subnodes that propagate hippocampal space-time outputs and subnodes that describe the global network architecture may enable default functions, such as autobiographical recall or internally-orientated thinking.{{Cite journal |last1=Kernbach |first1=J.M. |last2=Yeo |first2=B.T.T. |last3=Smallwood |first3=J. |last4=Margulies |first4=D.S. |last5=Thiebaut |last6=de Schotten |first6=M. |last7=Walter |first7=H. |last8=Sabuncu |first8=M.R. |last9=Holmes |first9=A.J. |last10=Gramfort |first10=A. |last11=Varoquaux |first11=G. |year=2018 |title=Subspecialization within default mode nodes characterized in 10,000 UK Biobank participants |journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. |volume=115 |issue=48 |pages=12295–12300 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1804876115 |pmc=6275484 |pmid=30420501 |doi-access=free |last12=Thirion |first12=B. |last13=Bzdok |first13=D.|bibcode=2018PNAS..11512295K }}

In the infant's brain, there is limited evidence of the default network, but default network connectivity is more consistent in children aged 9–12 years, suggesting that the default network undergoes developmental change.

Functional connectivity analysis in monkeys shows a similar network of regions to the default mode network seen in humans. The PCC is also a key hub in monkeys; however, the mPFC is smaller and less well connected to other brain regions, largely because human's mPFC is much larger and well developed.

Diffusion MRI imaging shows white matter tracts connecting different areas of the DMN together. The structural connections found from diffusion MRI imaging and the functional correlations from resting state fMRI show the highest level of overlap and agreement within the DMN areas. This provides evidence that neurons in the DMN regions are linked to each other through large tracts of axons and this causes activity in these areas to be correlated with one another.

From the point of view of effective connectivity, many studies have attempted to shed some light using dynamic causal modeling, with inconsistent results. However, directionality from the medial prefrontal cortex towards the posterior cingulate gyrus seems confirmed in multiple studies, and the inconsistent results appear to be related to small sample size analysis.{{Cite journal

| last1 = Silchenko

| first1 = Alexander N.

| last2 = Hoffstaedter

| first2 = Felix

| last3 = Eickhoff

| first3 = Simon B.

| title = Impact of sample size and regression of tissue-specific signals on effective connectivity within the core default mode network

| journal = Human Brain Mapping

| year = 2023

| volume = 44

| issue = 17

| pages = 5858–5870

| doi = 10.1002/hbm.26481

| pmid = 37713540

| pmc = 10619387

}}

The default mode network is thought to be involved in several different functions:

It is potentially the neurological basis for the self:{{Cite journal |last=Andrews-Hanna |first=Jessica R. |date=1 June 2012 |title=The brain's default network and its adaptive role in internal mentation |journal=The Neuroscientist |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=251–270 |doi=10.1177/1073858411403316 |issn=1089-4098 |pmc=3553600 |pmid=21677128}}

• Autobiographical information: Memories of collection of events and facts about one's self
• Self-reference: Referring to traits and descriptions of one's self
• Emotion of one's self: Reflecting about one's own emotional state

Thinking about others:

• Theory of mind: Thinking about the thoughts of others and what they might or might not know
• Emotions of others: Understanding the emotions of other people and empathizing with their feelings
• Moral reasoning: Determining a just and an unjust result of an action
• Social evaluations: Good-bad attitude judgements about social concepts
• Social categories: Reflecting on important social characteristics and status of a group
• Social isolation: A perceived lack of social interaction{{Cite journal |last=Spreng, R.N., Dimas, E., Mwilambwe-Tshilobo, L., Dagher, A., Koellinger, P., Nave, G., Ong, A., Kernbach, J.M., Wiecki, T.V., Ge, T., Holmes, A.J., Yeo, B.T.T., Turner, G.R., Dunbar, R.I.M., Bzdok, D |year=2020 |title=The default network of the human brain is associated with perceived social isolation |journal=Nature Communications |publisher=Nature Publishing Group |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=6393 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.6393S |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-20039-w |pmc=7738683 |pmid=33319780}}

Remembering the past and thinking about the future:

• Remembering the past: Recalling events that happened in the past
• Imagining the future: Envisioning events that might happen in the future
• Episodic memory: Detailed memory related to specific events in time
• Story comprehension: Understanding and remembering a narrative
• Replay: Consolidating recently acquired memory traces{{cite journal | vauthors = Higgins C, Liu Y, Vidaurre D, Kurth-Nelson Z, Dolan R, Behrens T, Woolrich M | title = Replay bursts in humans coincide with activation of the default mode and parietal alpha networks | journal = Neuron | volume = 109 | pages = 882–893 | date = March 2021 | issue = 5 | doi = 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.007 | pmid = 33357412 | pmc = 7927915 }}

The default mode network is active during passive rest and mind-wandering which usually involves thinking about others, thinking about one's self, remembering the past, and envisioning the future rather than the task being performed. Recent work, however, has challenged a specific mapping between the default mode network and mind-wandering, given that the system is important in maintaining detailed representations of task information during working memory encoding.{{Cite journal |last1=Sormaz |first1=Mladen |last2=Murphy |first2=Charlotte |last3=Wang |first3=Hao-ting |last4=Hymers |first4=Mark |last5=Karapanagiotidis |first5=Theodoros |last6=Poerio |first6=Giulia |last7=Margulies |first7=Daniel S. |last8=Jefferies |first8=Elizabeth |last9=Smallwood |first9=Jonathan |date=24 August 2018 |title=Default mode network can support the level of detail in experience during active task states |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=115 |issue=37 |pages=9318–9323 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1721259115 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=6140531 |pmid=30150393 |bibcode=2018PNAS..115.9318S |doi-access=free}} Electrocorticography studies (which involve placing electrodes on the surface of a subject's cerebral cortex) have shown the default mode network becomes activated within a fraction of a second after participants finish a task.{{Cite journal |last1=Dastjerdi |first1=Mohammad |last2=Foster |first2=Brett L. |last3=Nasrullah |first3=Sharmin |last4=Rauschecker |first4=Andreas M. |last5=Dougherty |first5=Robert F. |last6=Townsend |first6=Jennifer D. |last7=Chang |first7=Catie |last8=Greicius |first8=Michael D. |last9=Menon |first9=Vinod |date=15 February 2011 |title=Differential electrophysiological response during rest, self-referential, and non-self-referential tasks in human posteromedial cortex |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=108 |issue=7 |pages=3023–3028 |bibcode=2011PNAS..108.3023D |doi=10.1073/pnas.1017098108 |issn=1091-6490 |pmc=3041085 |pmid=21282630 |doi-access=free}} Additionally, during attention demanding tasks, sufficient deactivation of the default mode network at the time of memory encoding has been shown to result in more successful long-term memory consolidation.{{Cite journal |last1=Lefebvre |first1=Etienne |last2=D’Angiulli |first2=Amedeo |year=2019 |title=Imagery-Mediated Verbal Learning Depends on Vividness–Familiarity Interactions: The Possible Role of Dualistic Resting State Network Activity Interference |journal=Brain Sciences |volume=9 |issue=6 |pages=143 |doi=10.3390/brainsci9060143 |issn=2076-3425 |pmc=6627679 |pmid=31216699 |doi-access=free}}

Studies have shown that when people watch a movie,{{Cite journal |last1=Hasson |first1=Uri |last2=Furman |first2=Orit |last3=Clark |first3=Dav |last4=Dudai |first4=Yadin |last5=Davachi |first5=Lila |date=7 February 2008 |title=Enhanced intersubject correlations during movie viewing correlate with successful episodic encoding |journal=Neuron |volume=57 |issue=3 |pages=452–462 |doi=10.1016/j.neuron.2007.12.009 |issn=0896-6273 |pmc=2789242 |pmid=18255037}} listen to a story,{{Cite journal |last1=Lerner |first1=Yulia |last2=Honey |first2=Christopher J. |last3=Silbert |first3=Lauren J. |last4=Hasson |first4=Uri |date=23 February 2011 |title=Topographic mapping of a hierarchy of temporal receptive windows using a narrated story |journal=The Journal of Neuroscience |volume=31 |issue=8 |pages=2906–2915 |doi=10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3684-10.2011 |issn=1529-2401 |pmc=3089381 |pmid=21414912}}{{Cite journal |last1=Simony |first1=Erez |last2=Honey |first2=Christopher J |last3=Chen |first3=Janice |last4=Lositsky |first4=Olga |last5=Yeshurun |first5=Yaara |last6=Wiesel |first6=Ami |last7=Hasson |first7=Uri |date=18 July 2016 |title=Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension |journal=Nature Communications |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=12141 |bibcode=2016NatCo...712141S |doi=10.1038/ncomms12141 |issn=2041-1723 |pmc=4960303 |pmid=27424918}} or read a story,{{Cite journal |last1=Regev |first1=Mor |last2=Honey |first2=Christopher J. |last3=Simony |first3=Erez |last4=Hasson |first4=Uri |date=2 October 2013 |title=Selective and invariant neural responses to spoken and written narratives |journal=The Journal of Neuroscience |volume=33 |issue=40 |pages=15978–15988 |doi=10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1580-13.2013 |issn=1529-2401 |pmc=3787506 |pmid=24089502}} their DMNs are highly correlated with each other. DMNs are not correlated if the stories are scrambled or are in a language the person does not understand, suggesting that the network is highly involved in the comprehension and the subsequent memory formation of that story. The DMN is shown to even be correlated if the same story is presented to different people in different languages,{{Cite journal |last1=Honey |first1=Christopher J. |last2=Thompson |first2=Christopher R. |last3=Lerner |first3=Yulia |last4=Hasson |first4=Uri |date=31 October 2012 |title=Not lost in translation: neural responses shared across languages |journal=The Journal of Neuroscience |volume=32 |issue=44 |pages=15277–15283 |doi=10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1800-12.2012 |issn=1529-2401 |pmc=3525075 |pmid=23115166}} further suggesting the DMN is truly involved in the comprehension aspect of the story and not the auditory or language aspect.

The default mode network is deactivated during some external goal-oriented tasks such as visual attention or cognitive working memory tasks. However, with internal goal-oriented tasks, such as social working memory or autobiographical tasks, the DMN is positively activated with the task and correlates with other networks such as the network involved in executive function. Regions of the DMN are also activated during cognitively demanding tasks that require higher-order conceptual representations. The DMN shows higher activation when behavioral responses are stable, and this activation is independent of self-reported mind wandering.{{Cite journal |last=Kucyi |first=Aaron |date=2016 |title=Spontaneous default network activity reflects behavioral variability independent of mind-wandering |journal=PNAS |volume=113 |issue=48 |pages=13899–13904 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1611743113 |pmc=5137714 |pmid=27856733 |bibcode=2016PNAS..11313899K |doi-access=free}} Meditation, which involves focusing the mind on breathing and relaxation, is associated with reduced activity of the DMN.{{cite journal | vauthors= Afonso RF, Kraft T, Kozasa EH | title=Neural correlates of meditation: a review of structural and functional MRI studies | journal=Frontiers in Bioscience | volume=12 | issue=1 | pages=92–115 | year=2020 | doi = 10.2741/S542 | pmid=32114450 }}

Gabrielle et al. (2019) suggests that the DMN is related to the perception of beauty, in which the network becomes activated in a generalized way to aesthetically moving domains such as artworks, landscapes, and architecture. This would explain a deep inner feeling of pleasure related to aesthetics, interconnected with the sense of personal identity, due to the network functions related to the self.{{Cite journal |last1=Starr |first1=G. Gabrielle |last2=Stahl |first2=Jonathan L. |last3=Belfi |first3=Amy M. |last4=Isik |first4=Ayse Ilkay |last5=Vessel |first5=Edward A. |date=4 September 2019 |title=The default-mode network represents aesthetic appeal that generalizes across visual domains |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=116 |issue=38 |pages=19155–19164 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1902650116 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=6754616 |pmid=31484756 |bibcode=2019PNAS..11619155V |doi-access=free}}

The default mode network has been hypothesized to be relevant to disorders including Alzheimer's disease, autism, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder (MDD), chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and others.{{Cite journal |last1=Buckner |first1=R. L. |last2=Andrews-Hanna |first2=J. R. |last3=Schacter |first3=D. L. |year=2008 |title=The Brain's Default Network: Anatomy, Function, and Relevance to Disease |journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |volume=1124 |pages=1–38 |bibcode=2008NYASA1124....1B |citeseerx=10.1.1.689.6903 |doi=10.1196/annals.1440.011 |pmid=18400922 |number=1 |s2cid=3167595}}{{Cite journal |last1=Akiki |first1=Teddy J. |last2=Averill |first2=Christopher L. |last3=Wrocklage |first3=Kristen M. |last4=Scott |first4=J. Cobb |last5=Averill |first5=Lynnette A. |last6=Schweinsburg |first6=Brian |last7=Alexander-Bloch |first7=Aaron |last8=Martini |first8=Brenda |last9=Southwick |first9=Steven M. |last10=Krystal |first10=John H. |last11=Abdallah |first11=Chadi G. |year=2018 |title=Default mode network abnormalities in posttraumatic stress disorder: A novel network-restricted topology approach |journal=NeuroImage |volume=176 |pages=489–498 |doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.05.005 |issn=1053-8119 |pmc=5976548 |pmid=29730491}} In particular, the DMN has also been reported to show overlapping yet distinct neural activity patterns across different mental health conditions, such as when directly comparing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.{{Cite journal |last1=Kernbach |first1=Julius M. |last2=Satterthwaite |first2=Theodore D. |last3=Bassett |first3=Danielle S. |last4=Smallwood |first4=Jonathan |last5=Margulies |first5=Daniel |last6=Krall |first6=Sarah |last7=Shaw |first7=Philip |last8=Varoquaux |first8=Gaël |last9=Thirion |first9=Bertrand |last10=Konrad |first10=Kerstin |last11=Bzdok |first11=Danilo |date=17 July 2018 |title=Shared endo-phenotypes of default mode dysfunction in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder |journal=Translational Psychiatry |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=133 |doi=10.1038/s41398-018-0179-6 |pmc=6050263 |pmid=30018328}}

People with Alzheimer's disease show a reduction in glucose (energy use) within the areas of the default mode network. These reductions start off as slight decreases in patients with mild symptoms and continue to large reductions in those with severe symptoms. Surprisingly, amyloid-beta plaque (one of the major hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease) builds up in the DMN begin even before individuals show symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. This prompted Randy Buckner and colleagues to propose the high metabolic rate from continuous activation of DMN causes more amyloid-beta peptide to accumulate in these DMN areas and to form amyloid-beta plaque. This disrupts the DMN and because the DMN is heavily involved in memory formation and retrieval, this disruption leads to the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

DMN is thought to be disrupted in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.{{Cite journal |last1=Vigneshwaran |first1=S |last2=Mahanand |first2=B. S. |last3=Suresh |first3=S |last4=Sundararajan |first4=N |year=2017 |title=Identifying differences in brain activities and an accurate detection of autism spectrum disorder using resting state functional-magnetic resonance imaging: A spatial filtering approach |journal=Medical Image Analysis |volume=35 |pages=375–389 |doi=10.1016/j.media.2016.08.003 |pmid=27585835 |s2cid=4922560}} These individuals are impaired in social interaction and communication which are tasks central to this network. Studies have shown worse connections between areas of the DMN in individuals with autism, especially between the mPFC (involved in thinking about the self and others) and the PCC (the central core of the DMN).{{Cite journal |last1=Washington |first1=Stuart D. |last2=Gordon |first2=Evan M. |last3=Brar |first3=Jasmit |last4=Warburton |first4=Samantha |last5=Sawyer |first5=Alice T. |last6=Wolfe |first6=Amanda |last7=Mease-Ference |first7=Erin R. |last8=Girton |first8=Laura |last9=Hailu |first9=Ayichew |date=1 April 2014 |title=Dysmaturation of the default mode network in autism |journal=Human Brain Mapping |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=1284–1296 |doi=10.1002/hbm.22252 |issn=1097-0193 |pmc=3651798 |pmid=23334984}}{{Cite journal |last1=Yerys |first1=Benjamin E. |last2=Gordon |first2=Evan M. |last3=Abrams |first3=Danielle N. |last4=Satterthwaite |first4=Theodore D. |last5=Weinblatt |first5=Rachel |last6=Jankowski |first6=Kathryn F. |last7=Strang |first7=John |last8=Kenworthy |first8=Lauren |last9=Gaillard |first9=William D. |date=1 January 2015 |title=Default mode network segregation and social deficits in autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from non-medicated children |journal=NeuroImage: Clinical |volume=9 |pages=223–232 |doi=10.1016/j.nicl.2015.07.018 |pmc=4573091 |pmid=26484047}} The more severe the autism, the less connected these areas are to each other. It is not clear if this is a cause or a result of autism, or if a third factor is causing both (confounding).

Although it is not clear whether the DMN connectivity is increased or decreased in psychotic bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, several genes correlated with altered DMN connectivity are also risk genes for mood and psychosis disorders.{{Cite journal |last1=Meda |first1=Shashwath A. |last2=Ruaño |first2=Gualberto |last3=Windemuth |first3=Andreas |last4=O’Neil |first4=Kasey |last5=Berwise |first5=Clifton |last6=Dunn |first6=Sabra M. |last7=Boccaccio |first7=Leah E. |last8=Narayanan |first8=Balaji |last9=Kocherla |first9=Mohan |date=13 May 2014 |title=Multivariate analysis reveals genetic associations of the resting default mode network in psychotic bipolar disorder and schizophrenia |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=111 |issue=19 |pages=E2066–E2075 |bibcode=2014PNAS..111E2066M |doi=10.1073/pnas.1313093111 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=4024891 |pmid=24778245 |doi-access=free}}

Rumination, one of the main symptoms of major depressive disorder, is associated with increased DMN connectivity and dominance over other networks during rest.{{Cite journal |last1=Berman |first1=MG |last2=Peltier |first2=S |last3=Nee |first3=DE |last4=Kross |first4=E |last5=Deldin |first5=PJ |last6=Jonides |first6=J |date=October 2011 |title=Depression, rumination and the default network. |journal=Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience |volume=6 |issue=5 |pages=548–55 |doi=10.1093/scan/nsq080 |pmc=3190207 |pmid=20855296}}{{Cite journal |last=Hamilton |first=J.Paul |date=2011 |title=Default-Mode and Task-Positive Network Activity in Major Depressive Disorder: Implications for Adaptive and Maladaptive Rumination |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/mood/cgi-bin/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Hamilton_Furman_Chang_TPN_DMN_BP_2011.pdf |journal=Biological Psychiatry |volume=70 |issue=4 |pages=327–333 |doi=10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.02.003 |pmc=3144981 |pmid=21459364 |accessdate=6 June 2014}} Such DMN hyperconnectivity has been observed in first-episode depression{{Cite journal |last1=Zhu |first1=X |last2=Wang |first2=X |last3=Xiao |first3=J |last4=Liao |first4=J |last5=Zhong |first5=M |last6=Wang |first6=W |last7=Yao |first7=S |year=2012 |title=Evidence of a dissociation pattern in resting-state default mode network connectivity in first-episode, treatment-naive major depression patients |journal=Biological Psychiatry |volume=71 |issue=7 |pages=611–7 |doi=10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.10.035 |pmid=22177602 |s2cid=23697809}} and chronic pain.{{Cite journal |last1=Kucyi |first1=A |last2=Moayedi |first2=M |last3=Weissman-Fogel |first3=I |last4=Goldberg |first4=M. B. |last5=Freeman |first5=B. V. |last6=Tenenbaum |first6=H. C. |last7=Davis |first7=K. D. |year=2014 |title=Enhanced medial prefrontal-default mode network functional connectivity in chronic pain and its association with pain rumination |journal=Journal of Neuroscience |volume=34 |issue=11 |pages=3969–75 |doi=10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5055-13.2014 |pmc=6705280 |pmid=24623774}} Altered DMN connectivity may change the way a person perceives events and their social and moral reasoning, thus increasing their susceptibility to depressive symptoms.{{Cite journal |last1=Sambataro |first1=Fabio |last2=Wolf |first2=Nadine |last3=Giusti |first3=Pietro |last4=Vasic |first4=Nenad |last5=Wolf |first5=Robert |date=October 2013 |title=Default mode network in depression: A pathway to impaired affective cognition? |url=http://www.clinicalneuropsychiatry.org/pdf/sambataro_web.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Clinical Neuralpyschiatry |volume=10 |pages=212–216 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829082618/http://www.clinicalneuropsychiatry.org/pdf/sambataro_web.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2017 |access-date=28 September 2017}}

Lower connectivity between brain regions was found across the default network in people who have experienced long-term trauma, such as childhood abuse or neglect, and is associated with dysfunctional attachment patterns. Among people experiencing PTSD, lower activation was found in the posterior cingulate gyrus compared to controls, and severe PTSD was characterized by lower connectivity within the DMN.Dr. Ruth Lanius, Brain Mapping conference, London, November 2010

Adults and children with ADHD show reduced anticorrelation between the DMN and other brain networks.{{Cite journal |last1=Hoekzema |first1=E |last2=Carmona |first2=S |last3=Ramos-Quiroga |first3=JA |last4=Richarte Fernández |first4=V |last5=Bosch |first5=R |last6=Soliva |first6=JC |last7=Rovira |first7=M |last8=Bulbena |first8=A |last9=Tobeña |first9=A |last10=Casas |first10=M |last11=Vilarroya |first11=O |date=April 2014 |title=An independent components and functional connectivity analysis of resting state fMRI data points to neural network dysregulation in adult ADHD. |journal=Human Brain Mapping |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=1261–72 |doi=10.1002/hbm.22250 |pmc=6869838 |pmid=23417778}}{{Cite journal |last1=Mills |first1=BD |last2=Miranda-Dominguez |first2=O |last3=Mills |first3=KL |last4=Earl |first4=E |last5=Cordova |first5=M |last6=Painter |first6=J |last7=Karalunas |first7=SL |last8=Nigg |first8=JT |last9=Fair |first9=DA |date=2018 |title=ADHD and attentional control: Impaired segregation of task positive and task negative brain networks. |journal=Network Neuroscience |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=200–217 |doi=10.1162/netn_a_00034 |pmc=6130439 |pmid=30215033}} The cause may be a lag in brain maturation.{{Cite journal |last1=Sripada |first1=CS |last2=Kessler |first2=D |last3=Angstadt |first3=M |date=30 September 2014 |title=Lag in maturation of the brain's intrinsic functional architecture in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=111 |issue=39 |pages=14259–64 |bibcode=2014PNAS..11114259S |doi=10.1073/pnas.1407787111 |pmc=4191792 |pmid=25225387 |doi-access=free}} More generally, competing activation between the DMN and other networks during memory encoding may result in poor long-term memory consolidation, which is a symptom of not only ADHD but also depression, anxiety, autism, and schizophrenia.

The default mode network (DMN) may be modulated{{clarification needed|date=April 2025}} by the following interventions and processes:

• Acupuncture – Deactivation of the limbic brain areas and the DMN.{{Cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=Wenjing |last2=Pach |first2=Daniel |last3=Napadow |first3=Vitaly |last4=Park |first4=Kyungmo |last5=Long |first5=Xiangyu |last6=Neumann |first6=Jane |last7=Maeda |first7=Yumi |last8=Nierhaus |first8=Till |last9=Liang |first9=Fanrong |last10=Witt |first10=Claudia M. |last11=Harrison |first11=Ben J. |date=9 April 2012 |title=Characterizing Acupuncture Stimuli Using Brain Imaging with fMRI – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=e32960 |bibcode=2012PLoSO...732960H |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0032960 |pmc=3322129 |pmid=22496739 |doi-access=free}} It has been suggested that this is due to the pain response.{{Cite journal |last1=Chae |first1=Younbyoung |last2=Chang |first2=Dong-Seon |last3=Lee |first3=Soon-Ho |last4=Jung |first4=Won-Mo |last5=Lee |first5=In-Seon |last6=Jackson |first6=Stephen |last7=Kong |first7=Jian |last8=Lee |first8=Hyangsook |last9=Park |first9=Hi-Joon |last10=Lee |first10=Hyejung |last11=Wallraven |first11=Christian |date=March 2013 |title=Inserting Needles into the Body: A Meta-Analysis of Brain Activity Associated With Acupuncture Needle Stimulation |journal=The Journal of Pain |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=215–222 |doi=10.1016/j.jpain.2012.11.011 |pmid=23395475|s2cid=36594091 |doi-access=free }}
• Antidepressants – Abnormalities in DMN connectivity are reduced following treatment with antidepressant medications in PTSD.
• Attention Training Technique - Research shows that even a single session of Attention Training Technique changes functional connectivity of the DMN.{{Cite journal |last1=Kowalski |first1=Joachim |last2=Wierzba |first2=Małgorzata |last3=Wypych |first3=Marek |last4=Marchewka |first4=Artur |last5=Dragan |first5=Małgorzata |date=1 September 2020 |title=Effects of attention training technique on brain function in high- and low-cognitive-attentional syndrome individuals: Regional dynamics before, during, and after a single session of ATT |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796720301479 |journal=Behaviour Research and Therapy |language=en |volume=132 |pages=103693 |doi=10.1016/j.brat.2020.103693 |issn=0005-7967 |pmid=32688045|s2cid=220669531 }}
• Deep brain stimulation – Alterations in brain activity with deep brain stimulation may be used to balance resting state networks.{{Cite journal |last1=Kringelbach |first1=Morten L. |last2=Green |first2=Alexander L. |last3=Aziz |first3=Tipu Z. |date=2 May 2011 |title=Balancing the Brain: Resting State Networks and Deep Brain Stimulation |journal=Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience |volume=5 |pages=8 |doi=10.3389/fnint.2011.00008 |pmc=3088866 |pmid=21577250 |doi-access=free}}
• Meditation – Structural changes in areas of the DMN such as the temporoparietal junction, posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus have been found in meditation practitioners. There is reduced activation and reduced functional connectivity of the DMN in long-term practitioners.{{Cite journal |last1=Fox |first1=Kieran C. R. |last2=Nijeboer |first2=Savannah |last3=Dixon |first3=Matthew L. |last4=Floman |first4=James L. |last5=Ellamil |first5=Melissa |last6=Rumak |first6=Samuel P. |last7=Sedlmeier |first7=Peter |last8=Christoff |first8=Kalina |year=2014 |title=Is meditation associated with altered brain structure? A systematic review and meta-analysis of morphometric neuroimaging in meditation practitioners |journal=Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews |volume=43 |pages=48–73 |doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.016 |pmid=24705269 |s2cid=207090878}} Various forms of nondirective meditation, including Transcendental Meditation{{Cite journal |last1=Raffone |first1=Antonino |last2=Srinivasan |first2=Narayanan |date=2010 |title=The exploration of meditation in the neuroscience of attention and consciousness |journal=Cognitive Processing |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1007/s10339-009-0354-z |pmid=20041276 |doi-access=free}} and Acem Meditation,{{Cite journal |last1=Xu |first1=J |last2=Vik |first2=A |last3=Groote |first3=IR |last4=Lagopoulos |first4=J |last5=Holen |first5=A |last6=Ellingsen |first6=Ø |last7=Håberg |first7=AK |last8=Davanger |first8=S |date=2014 |title=Nondirective meditation activates default mode network and areas associated with memory retrieval and emotional processing |journal=Front. Hum. Neurosci. |volume=8 |issue=86 |pages=86 |doi=10.3389/fnhum.2014.00086 |pmc=3935386 |pmid=24616684 |doi-access=free}} have been found to activate the DMN.
• Physical Activity and Exercise – Physical Activity, and more likely Aerobic Training, may alter the DMN. In addition, sports experts are showing networks differences, notably of the DMN.{{Cite journal |last1=Voss |first1=Michelle W. |last2=Soto |first2=Carmen |last3=Yoo |first3=Seungwoo |last4=Sodoma |first4=Matthew |last5=Vivar |first5=Carmen |last6=van Praag |first6=Henriette |date=April 2019 |title=Exercise and Hippocampal Memory Systems |journal=Trends in Cognitive Sciences |language=en |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=318–333 |doi=10.1016/j.tics.2019.01.006 |pmc=6422697 |pmid=30777641}}{{Cite journal |last1=Shao |first1=Mengling |last2=Lin |first2=Huiyan |last3=Yin |first3=Desheng |last4=Li |first4=Yongjie |last5=Wang |first5=Yifan |last6=Ma |first6=Junpeng |last7=Yin |first7=Jianzhong |last8=Jin |first8=Hua |date=1 October 2019 |editor-last=Rao |editor-first=Hengyi |title=Learning to play badminton altered resting-state activity and functional connectivity of the cerebellar sub-regions in adults |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=14 |issue=10 |pages=e0223234 |bibcode=2019PLoSO..1423234S |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0223234 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=6771995 |pmid=31574108 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal |last1=Muraskin |first1=Jordan |last2=Dodhia |first2=Sonam |last3=Lieberman |first3=Gregory |last4=Garcia |first4=Javier O. |last5=Verstynen |first5=Timothy |last6=Vettel |first6=Jean M. |last7=Sherwin |first7=Jason |last8=Sajda |first8=Paul |date=December 2016 |title=Brain dynamics of post-task resting state are influenced by expertise: Insights from baseball players: Brain Dynamics of Post-Task Resting State |journal=Human Brain Mapping |language=en |volume=37 |issue=12 |pages=4454–4471 |doi=10.1002/hbm.23321 |pmc=5113676 |pmid=27448098}}
• Psychedelic drugs – Reduced blood flow to the PCC and mPFC was observed under the administration of psilocybin. These two areas are considered to be the main nodes of the DMN.{{Cite journal |last1=Carhart-Harris |first1=Robin L.|author1-link=Robin Carhart-Harris |last2=Erritzoe |first2=David |last3=Williams |first3=Tim |last4=Stone |first4=James M. |last5=Reed |first5=Laurence J. |last6=Colasanti |first6=Alessandro |last7=Tyacke |first7=Robin J. |last8=Leech |first8=Robert |last9=Malizia |first9=Andrea L. |last10=Murphy |first10=Kevin |last11=Hobden |first11=Peter |year=2012 |title=Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin |journal=PNAS |volume=109 |issue=6 |pages=2138–2143 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1119598109 |pmc=3277566 |pmid=22308440 |doi-access=free |last12=Evans |first12=John |last13=Feilding |first13=Amanda |last14=Wise |first14=Richard G. |last15=Nutt |first15=David J.}} One study on the effects of LSD demonstrated that the drug desynchronizes brain activity within the DMN; the activity of the brain regions that constitute the DMN becomes less correlated.{{Cite journal |last1=Carhart-Harris |first1=Robin L. |last2=Muthukumaraswamy |first2=Suresh |last3=Roseman |first3=Leor |last4=Kaelen |first4=Mendel |last5=Droog |first5=Wouter |last6=Murphy |first6=Kevin |last7=Tagliazucchi |first7=Enzo |last8=Schenberg |first8=Eduardo E. |last9=Nest |first9=Timothy |last10=Orban |first10=Csaba |last11=Leech |first11=Robert |date=26 April 2016 |title=Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=113 |issue=17 |pages=4853–4858 |bibcode=2016PNAS..113.4853C |doi=10.1073/pnas.1518377113 |pmc=4855588 |pmid=27071089 |doi-access=free |last12=Williams |first12=Luke T. |last13=Williams |first13=Tim M. |last14=Bolstridge |first14=Mark |last15=Sessa |first15=Ben |last16=McGonigle |first16=John |last17=Sereno |first17=Martin I. |last18=Nichols |first18=David |last19=Hellyer |first19=Peter J. |last20=Hobden |first20=Peter |last21=Evans |first21=John |last22=Singh |first22=Krish D. |last23=Wise |first23=Richard G. |last24=Curran |first24=H. Valerie |last25=Feilding |first25=Amanda |last26=Nutt |first26=David J.}}
• Psychotherapy – In PTSD, the abnormalities in the default mode network normalize in individuals who respond to psychotherapy interventions.{{Cite journal |last1=Sripada |first1=Rebecca K. |last2=King |first2=Anthony P. |last3=Welsh |first3=Robert C. |last4=Garfinkel |first4=Sarah N. |last5=Wang |first5=Xin |last6=Sripada |first6=Chandra S. |last7=Liberzon |first7=Israel |year=2012 |title=Neural Dysregulation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder |journal=Psychosomatic Medicine |volume=74 |issue=9 |pages=904–911 |doi=10.1097/PSY.0b013e318273bf33 |issn=0033-3174 |pmc=3498527 |pmid=23115342}}{{Cite journal |last1=Akiki |first1=Teddy J. |last2=Averill |first2=Christopher L. |last3=Abdallah |first3=Chadi G. |year=2017 |title=A Network-Based Neurobiological Model of PTSD: Evidence From Structural and Functional Neuroimaging Studies |journal=Current Psychiatry Reports |volume=19 |issue=11 |pages=81 |doi=10.1007/s11920-017-0840-4 |issn=1523-3812 |pmc=5960989 |pmid=28924828}}
• Sleep deprivation – Functional connectivity between nodes of the DMN in their resting-state is usually strong, but sleep deprivation results in a decrease in connectivity within the DMN.{{Cite journal |last1=McKenna |first1=Benjamin S. |last2=Eyler |first2=Lisa T. |year=2012 |title=Overlapping prefrontal systems involved in cognitive and emotional processing in euthymic bipolar disorder and following sleep deprivation: A review of functional neuroimaging studies |journal=Clinical Psychology Review |volume=32 |issue=7 |pages=650–663 |doi=10.1016/j.cpr.2012.07.003 |pmc=3922056 |pmid=22926687}} Recent studies suggest a decrease in connectivity between the DMN and the task-positive network as a result of sleep loss.{{Cite journal |last1=Basner |first1=Mathias |last2=Rao |first2=Hengyi |last3=Goel |first3=Namni |last4=Dinges |first4=David F |date=October 2013 |title=Sleep deprivation and neurobehavioral dynamics |journal=Current Opinion in Neurobiology |volume=23 |issue=5 |pages=854–863 |doi=10.1016/j.conb.2013.02.008 |pmc=3700596 |pmid=23523374}}
• Sleeping and resting wakefulness
• Onset of sleep – Increase in connectivity between the DMN and the task-positive network.
• REM sleep – Possible increase in connectivity between nodes of the DMN.
• Resting wakefulness – Functional connectivity between nodes of the DMN is strong.{{Cite journal |last1=Picchioni |first1=Dante |last2=Duyn |first2=Jeff H. |last3=Horovitz |first3=Silvina G. |date=15 October 2013 |title=Sleep and the functional connectome |journal=NeuroImage |volume=80 |pages=387–396 |doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.067 |pmc=3733088 |pmid=23707592}}
• Stage N2 of NREM sleep – Decrease in connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex.
• Stage N3 of NREM sleep – Further decrease in connectivity between the PCC and MPFC.

Some have argued the brain areas in the default mode network only show up together because of the vascular coupling of large arteries and veins in the brain near these areas, not because these areas are actually functionally connected to each other. Support for this argument comes from studies that show changing in breathing alters oxygen levels in the blood which in turn affects DMN the most. These studies however do not explain why the DMN can also be identified using PET scans by measuring glucose metabolism which is independent of vascular coupling and in electrocorticography studies{{Cite journal |last1=Foster |first1=Brett L. |last2=Parvizi |first2=Josef |date=1 March 2012 |title=Resting oscillations and cross-frequency coupling in the human posteromedial cortex |journal=NeuroImage |volume=60 |issue=1 |pages=384–391 |doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.12.019 |issn=1095-9572 |pmc=3596417 |pmid=22227048}} measuring electrical activity on the surface of the brain, and in MEG by measuring magnetic fields associated with electrophysiological brain activity that bypasses the hemodynamic response.{{Cite journal |last1=Morris |first1=Peter G. |last2=Smith |first2=Stephen M. |last3=Barnes |first3=Gareth R. |last4=Stephenson |first4=Mary C. |last5=Hale |first5=Joanne R. |last6=Price |first6=Darren |last7=Luckhoo |first7=Henry |last8=Woolrich |first8=Mark |last9=Brookes |first9=Matthew J. |date=4 October 2011 |title=Investigating the electrophysiological basis of resting state networks using magnetoencephalography |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=108 |issue=40 |pages=16783–16788 |bibcode=2011PNAS..10816783B |doi=10.1073/pnas.1112685108 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=3189080 |pmid=21930901 |doi-access=free}}

The idea of a "default network" is not universally accepted.{{Cite journal |last1=Fair |first1=D. A. |last2=Cohen |first2=A. L. |last3=Dosenbach |first3=N. U. F. |last4=Church |first4=J. A. |last5=Miezin |first5=F. M. |last6=Barch |first6=D. M. |last7=Raichle |first7=M. E. |last8=Petersen |first8=S. E. |last9=Schlaggar |first9=B. L. |year=2008 |title=The maturing architecture of the brain's default network |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=105 |issue=10 |pages=4028–32 |bibcode=2008PNAS..105.4028F |doi=10.1073/pnas.0800376105 |pmc=2268790 |pmid=18322013 |doi-access=free}} In 2007 the concept of the default mode was criticized as not being useful for understanding brain function, on the grounds that a simpler hypothesis is that a resting brain actually does more processing than a brain doing certain "demanding" tasks, and that there is no special significance to the intrinsic activity of the resting brain.{{Cite journal |last1=Morcom |first1=Alexa M. |last2=Fletcher |first2=Paul C. |date=October 2007 |title=Does the brain have a baseline? Why we should be resisting a rest |journal=NeuroImage |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=1073–1082 |doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.09.013 |pmid=17052921 |s2cid=3356303}}

The default mode network has also been called the language network, semantic system, or limbic network. Even though the dichotomy is misleading, the term task-negative network is still sometimes used to contrast it against other more externally-oriented brain networks.

In 2019, Uddin et al. proposed that medial frontoparietal network (M-FPN) be used as a standard anatomical name for this network.{{Cite journal |last1=Uddin |first1=Lucina Q. |last2=Yeo |first2=B. T. Thomas |last3=Spreng |first3=R. Nathan |date=1 November 2019 |title=Towards a Universal Taxonomy of Macro-scale Functional Human Brain Networks |journal=Brain Topography |language=en |volume=32 |issue=6 |pages=926–942 |doi=10.1007/s10548-019-00744-6 |issn=1573-6792 |pmc=7325607 |pmid=31707621}}

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
• Mind-wandering
• Resting state fMRI

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{{Commons category|Default mode network}}

{{Human connectomics}}

Category:Attention

Category:Cognitive neuroscience

Category:Neural circuitry

Category:Daydreaming