White matter microstructure underlying default mode network connectivity in the human brain
NeuroImage October 29, 2009 Stefan J. Teipel, Arun L.w. Bokde, Thomas Meindl et al. 205 citations
Resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) of the human brain is linked to underlying white matter microstructure. Combining diffusion tensor imaging and resting state fMRI in 20 healthy elderly adults aged 56 to 83, the authors found that functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate and hippocampus was associated with white matter integrity in the cingulate bundle and related fiber tracts. A data-driven analysis confirmed a pattern of white matter tracts resembling the hypothesis-driven findings and linked to DMN connectivity. The results support the idea that DMN functional connectivity is grounded in distinct anatomical connections within cerebral white matter.