Development of the Brain's Default Mode Network from Wakefulness to Slow Wave Sleep

As people fall asleep, the brain's default mode network (DMN) and its anticorrelated network (ACN) break down. In 25 healthy participants, functional connectivity between key brain regions—especially the posterior cingulate cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and medial prefrontal cortex—decreased with deeper non-REM sleep. The loss of synchronization between the posterior and anterior midline nodes of the DMN, and between the DMN and ACN, suggests that preserved corticocortical connectivity is necessary for maintaining internal and external awareness. The posterior cingulate/retrosplenial cortex appears particularly important for regulating consciousness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Falling asleep is paralleled by a loss of conscious awareness and reduced capacity to process external stimuli. Little is known on sleep-associated changes of spontaneously synchronized anatomical networks as detected by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). We employed functional connectivity analysis of rs-fMRI series obtained from 25 healthy participants, covering all non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep stages. We focused on the default mode network (DMN) and its anticorrelated network (ACN) that are involved in internal and external awareness during wakefulness. Using independent component analysis, cross-correlation analysis (CCA), and intraindividual dynamic network tracking, we found significant changes in DMN/ACN integrity throughout the NREM sleep. With increasing sleep depth, contributions of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/retrosplenial cortex (RspC), parahippocampal gyrus, and medial prefrontal cortex to the DMN decreased. CCA revealed a breakdown of corticocortical functional connectivity, particularly between the posterior and anterior midline node of the DMN and the DMN and the ACN. Dynamic tracking of the DMN from wakefulness into slow wave sleep in a single subject added insights into intraindividual network fluctuations. Results resonate with a role of the PCC/RspC for the regulation of consciousness. We further submit that preserved corticocortical synchronization could represent a prerequisite for maintaining internal and external awareness.