Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology

The default mode network (DMN), a set of brain regions more active at rest than during demanding tasks, shows abnormal hyperactivation and hyperconnectivity in schizophrenia and depression. In schizophrenia, this may contribute to excessive self-reference and problems with attention and working memory. In depression, DMN hyperactivity may underlie negative rumination. Greater DMN suppression in healthy brains is linked to better performance on attention-focused tasks. The review considers these findings in relation to the DMN's psychological functions and its alteration across various neuropsychiatric disorders.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Neuropsychiatric disorders are associated with abnormal function of the default mode network (DMN), a distributed network of brain regions more active during rest than during performance of many attention-demanding tasks and characterized by a high degree of functional connectivity (i.e., temporal correlations between brain regions). Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have revealed that the DMN in the healthy brain is associated with stimulus-independent thought and self-reflection and that greater suppression of the DMN is associated with better performance on attention-demanding tasks. In schizophrenia and depression, the DMN is often found to be hyperactivated and hyperconnected. In schizophrenia this may relate to overly intensive self-reference and impairments in attention and working memory. In depression, DMN hyperactivity may be related to negative rumination. These findings are considered in terms of what is known about psychological functions supported by the DMN, and alteration of the DMN in other neuropsychiatric disorders.