Internal and external attention and the default mode network
NeuroImage January 18, 2017 Hannah Scheibner, Carsten Bogler, Tobias Gleich et al. 136 citations
Focused attention meditation is linked to reduced activity in the default mode network (DMN) compared to mind-wandering, regardless of whether attention is directed internally or externally. In twenty meditation-naïve adults who practiced mindfulness of sound and breathing for four days, brain scans showed that during mindful attention, regions like the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and left temporoparietal junction were less active than during mind-wandering. Deactivation in the posterior cingulate cortex was stronger during internal attention than external attention. Refocusing after mind-wandering engaged the left inferior frontal gyrus. These findings suggest that mindful attention, not the focus of attention, drives DMN reduction.