Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) consists of several regions that selectively interact to support distinct domains of cognition. Of the various sites that partake in DMN function, the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), temporal parietal junction (TPJ), and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) are frequently identified as key contributors. Yet, it remains unclear whether these subcomponents of the DMN make unique contributions to specific cognitive processes and health conditions. To address this issue, we applied a meta-analytic parcellation approach used in prior work. This approach used the Neurosynth database and classification methods to quantify the association between PCC, TPJ, and MPFC activation and specific topics related to cognition and health (e.g., decision making and smoking). Our analyses replicated prior observations that the PCC, TPJ, and MPFC collectively support multiple cognitive functions such as decision making, memory, and awareness. To gain insight into the functional organization of each region, we parceled each region based on its coactivation pattern with the rest of the brain. This analysis indicated that each region could be further subdivided into functionally distinct subcomponents. Taken together, we further delineate DMN function by demonstrating the relative strengths of association among subcomponents across a range of cognitive processes and health conditions. A continued attentiveness to the specialization within the DMN allows future work to consider the nuances in sub-regional contributions necessary for healthy cognition, as well as create the potential for more targeted treatment protocols in various health conditions.
Highlights
The default mode network (DMN) consists of several regions that selectively interact to support distinct domains of cognition
To determine how the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), and temporal parietal junction (TPJ) coactivated with the rest of the brain, we begun by searching for the term “DMN” in Neurosynth to create a functional mask, which we constrained to the 4 anatomical regions of interest to the present study (PCC, MPFC, left and right TPJ) using the Harvard–Oxford probabilistic atlas in FSL (Fig. 1A)
We found that activity among the four DMN regions were differentially associated with certain topics: fear, emotion and reward topics were associated with activity in the MPFC; emotion topics were associated with PCC activity; and math, semantics, and reading topics were associated with activity in the left TPJ
Summary
The default mode network (DMN) consists of several regions that selectively interact to support distinct domains of cognition. Of the various sites that partake in DMN function, the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), temporal parietal junction (TPJ), and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) are frequently identified as key contributors It remains unclear whether these subcomponents of the DMN make unique contributions to specific cognitive processes and health conditions. Ongoing research revealed that the DMN tended to engage many of the same subregions, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and left and right temporal-parietal junction (left- and right-TPJ)[12,13] These four regions have been shown to preferentially activate when the brain is at rest, and decrease when engaged in a goal-directed t ask[14]. Despite the growing body of knowledge regarding the roles of these four DMN subregions in both the cognitive and psychiatric domains, it remains unclear whether further subdividing these regions would reveal distinct patterns of activity that show relative differences among one another in their contributions to various cognitive process and mental disorders alike
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