Decoupling of the brain's default mode network during deep sleep
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 19, 2009 Silvina G. Horovitz, Allen R. Braun, Walter S. Carr et al. 706 citations
A natural reduction of consciousness during sleep alters the correlation between components of the default-mode network (DMN), particularly reducing the involvement of frontal cortex. This suggests the DMN may play an important role in sustaining conscious awareness. The finding contrasts with a recent study in anesthetized primates that proposed DMN activity reflects general network dynamics rather than conscious mentation.