Episodic Memory Retrieval, Parietal Cortex, and the Default Mode Network: Functional and Topographic Analyses
Journal of Neuroscience March 23, 2011 Carlo Sestieri, Maurizio Corbetta, Gian Luca Romani et al. 545 citations
The default mode network (DMN) is not functionally uniform during episodic memory retrieval. Using fMRI, parietal regions inside and outside the DMN were examined. Memory retrieval activated posterior DMN nodes, especially the angular gyrus, and also separate anterior/dorsal parietal regions outside the DMN. DMN regions responded sooner, while non-DMN regions showed sustained activity until a memory judgment. A parahippocampal region with strong resting-state connectivity to parietal DMN showed similar task-evoked activity. DMN parietal regions directly supported memory retrieval; non-DMN regions were involved in postretrieval decision-making. A dissociation within the DMN emerged: angular gyrus and posterior cingulate/precuneus were activated, but medial prefrontal cortex was deactivated, demonstrating functional heterogeneity.