Resting-state Default Mode Network Research Articles

Establishing the resting state default mode network derived from functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks as an endophenotype: A twins study

The resting state default mode network (DMN) has been shown to characterize a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Evidence suggests an underlying genetic basis for this network and hence could serve as potential endophenotype for these disorders. Heritability is a defining criterion for endophenotypes. The DMN is measured either using a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan or by extracting resting state activity from task-based fMRI. The current study is the first to evaluate heritability of this task-derived resting activity. 250 healthy adult twins (79 monozygotic and 46 dizygotic same sex twin pairs) completed five cognitive and emotion processing fMRI tasks. Resting state DMN functional connectivity was derived from these five fMRI tasks. We validated this approach by comparing connectivity estimates from task-derived resting activity for all five fMRI tasks, with those obtained using a dedicated task-free resting state scan in an independent cohort of 27 healthy individuals. Structural equation modeling using the classic twin design was used to estimate the genetic and environmental contributions to variance for the resting-state DMN functional connectivity. About 9-41% of the variance in functional connectivity between the DMN nodes was attributed to genetic contribution with the greatest heritability found for functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate and right inferior parietal nodes (P<0.001). Our data provide new evidence that functional connectivity measures from the intrinsic DMN derived from task-based fMRI datasets are under genetic control and have the potential to serve as endophenotypes for genetically predisposed psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Effects of exercise on resting-state default mode and salience network activity in overweight/obese adults

Despite the common use of exercise as a weight-loss strategy, little is known about its neuronal effects, and how these may be related to cognitive changes that impact food intake. The current study assessed the effects of a 6-month exercise intervention on intrinsic activity in the default mode network (DMN), a functionally connected network of brain regions including posterior cingulate cortex, cuneus/precuneus, medial prefrontal cortex, medial temporal lobe, and inferior parietal cortices, and salience network, which includes the anterior cingulate cortex and insula. Resting-state functional MRI data were acquired in 12 overweight/obese individuals. The intervention was associated with a reduction in DMN activity in the precuneus (P=0.003, family-wise error-corrected), which was associated with greater fat mass loss (P=0.013) as well as reduced perceived hunger (Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, P=0.024) and hunger ratings in response to a meal (P=0.013). No changes were observed in the salience network in response to the exercise intervention. The association between DMN change and both fat mass loss and reduction of hunger ratings suggests that DMN function may be involved in the regulation of food intake behaviors. Given previous reports of DMN overactivity in overweight/obese individuals, the present findings may indicate an exercise-related 'normalization' of network function.

Frequency domains of resting state default mode network activity in schizophrenia

Probabilistic independent component analysis was applied to identify the default mode network (DMN) in resting state data obtained with functional magnetic resonance imaging from 25 DSM-IV schizophrenia and 25 matched healthy subjects. Power spectrum analysis showed a significant diagnosis×frequency interaction and higher power in one frequency band, indicating an alteration of DMN frequency spectrum in schizophrenia.

Altered Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

This study explored the functional connectivity between brain regions implicated in the default mode network, the sensorimotor cortex (S1/M1), and the intraparietal sulcus (IPS/MIP) at rest in patients with complex regional pain syndrome. It also investigated how possible alterations are associated with neuropathic pain. Our group used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate functional brain connectivity in 12 complex regional pain syndrome patients in comparison with that in 12 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Data were analyzed using a seed voxel correlation analysis and an independent component analysis. An analysis of covariance was employed to relate alterations in functional connectivity with clinical symptoms. We found significantly greater reductions in functional default mode network connectivity in patients compared to controls. The functional connectivity maps of S1/M1 and IPS/MIP in patients revealed greater and more diffuse connectivity with other brain regions, mainly with the cingulate cortex, precuneus, thalamus, and prefrontal cortex. In contrast, controls showed greater intraregional connectivity within S1/M1 and IPS/MIP. Furthermore, there was a trend for correlation between alterations in functional connectivity and intensity of neuropathic pain. In our findings, patients with complex regional pain syndrome have substantial spatial alterations in the functional connectivity between brain regions implicated in the resting-state default mode network, S1/M1, and IPS/MIP; these alterations show a trend of correlation with neuropathic pain intensity. PerspectiveThis article presents spatial alterations in the functional resting-state connectivity of complex regional pain syndrome patients. Our results add further insight into the disease states of CRPS and into the functional architecture of the resting state brains of pain patients in general.

Links among resting-state default-mode network, salience network, and symptomatology in schizophrenia

Neuroimaging data support the idea that schizophrenia is a brain disorder with altered brain structure and function. New resting-state functional connectivity techniques allow us to highlight synchronization of large-scale networks, such as the default-mode network (DMN) and salience network (SN). A large body of work suggests that disruption of these networks could give rise to specific schizophrenia symptoms. We examined the intra-network connectivity strength and gray matter content (GMC) of DMN and SN in 26 schizophrenia patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry. Resting-state data were analyzed with independent component analysis and dual-regression techniques. We reported reduced functional connectivity within both DMN and SN in patients with schizophrenia. Concerning the DMN, patients showed weaker connectivity in a cluster located in the right paracingulate cortex. Moreover, patients showed decreased GMC in this cluster. With regard to the SN, patients showed reduced connectivity in the left and right striatum. Decreased connectivity in the paracingulate cortex was correlated with difficulties in abstract thinking. The connectivity decrease in the left striatum was correlated with delusion and depression scores. Correlation between the connectivity of DMN frontal regions and difficulties in abstract thinking emphasizes the link between negative symptoms and the likely alteration of the frontal medial cortex in schizophrenia. Correlation between the connectivity of SN striatal regions and delusions supports the aberrant salience hypothesis. This work provides new insights into dysfunctional brain organization in schizophrenia and its contribution to specific schizophrenia symptoms.

Diminished default mode network recruitment of the hippocampus and parahippocampus in temporal lobe epilepsy

Functional neuroimaging has shown that the brain organizes into several independent networks of spontaneously coactivated regions during wakeful rest (resting state). Previous research has suggested that 1 such network, the default mode network (DMN), shows diminished recruitment of the hippocampus with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). This work seeks to elucidate how hippocampal recruitment into the DMN varies by hemisphere of epileptogenic focus. The authors addressed this issue using functional MRI to assess resting-state DMN connectivity in 38 participants (23 control participants, 7 patients with TLE and left-sided epileptogenic foci, and 8 patients with TLE and right-sided foci). Independent component analysis was conducted to identify resting-state brain networks from control participants' data. The DMN was identified and deconstructed into its individual regions of interest (ROIs). The functional connectivity of these ROIs was analyzed both by hemisphere (left vs right) and by laterality to the epileptogenic focus (ipsilateral vs contralateral). This attempt to replicate previously published methods with this data set showed that patients with left-sided TLE had reduced connectivity between the posterior cingulate (PCC) and both the left (p = 0.012) and right (p < 0.002) hippocampus, while patients with right-sided TLE showed reduced connectivity between the PCC and right hippocampus (p < 0.004). After recoding ROIs by laterality, significantly diminished functional connectivity was observed between the PCC and hippocampus of both hemispheres (ipsilateral hippocampus, p < 0.001; contralateral hippocampus, p = 0.017) in patients with TLE compared with control participants. Regression analyses showed the reduced DMN recruitment of the ipsilateral hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) to be independent of clinical variables including hippocampal sclerosis, seizure frequency, and duration of illness. The graph theory metric of strength (or mean absolute correlation) showed significantly reduced connectivity of the ipsilateral hippocampus and ipsilateral PHG in patients with TLE compared with controls (hippocampus: p = 0.028; PHG: p = 0.021, after correction for false discovery rate). Finally, these hemispheric asymmetries in strength were observed in patients with TLE that corresponded to hemisphere of epileptogenic focus; 87% of patients with TLE had weaker ipsilateral hippocampus strength (compared with the contralateral hippocampus), and 80% of patients had weaker ipsilateral PHG strength. This study demonstrated that recoding brain regions by the laterality to their epileptogenic focus increases the power of statistical approaches for finding interhemispheric differences in brain function. Using this approach, the authors showed TLE to selectively diminish connectivity of the hippocampus and parahippocampus in the hemisphere of the epileptogenic focus. This approach may prove to be a useful method for determining the seizure onset zone with TLE, and could be broadly applied to other neurological disorders with a lateralized onset.

Cocaine addiction related reproducible brain regions of abnormal default-mode network functional connectivity: A group ICA study with different model orders

Model order selection in group independent component analysis (ICA) has a significant effect on the obtained components. This study investigated the reproducible brain regions of abnormal default-mode network (DMN) functional connectivity related with cocaine addiction through different model order settings in group ICA. Resting-state fMRI data from 24 cocaine addicts and 24 healthy controls were temporally concatenated and processed by group ICA using model orders of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, respectively. For each model order, the group ICA approach was repeated 100 times using the ICASSO toolbox and after clustering the obtained components, centrotype-based anterior and posterior DMN components were selected for further analysis. Individual DMN components were obtained through back-reconstruction and converted to z-score maps. A whole brain mixed effects factorial ANOVA was performed to explore the differences in resting-state DMN functional connectivity between cocaine addicts and healthy controls. The hippocampus, which showed decreased functional connectivity in cocaine addicts for all the tested model orders, might be considered as a reproducible abnormal region in DMN associated with cocaine addiction. This finding suggests that using group ICA to examine the functional connectivity of the hippocampus in the resting-state DMN may provide an additional insight potentially relevant for cocaine-related diagnoses and treatments.

Increased resting-state functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and the precuneus in panic disorder:: Resting-state connectivity in panic disorder

BackgroundThe structural and functional abnormalities of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) have been reported in panic disorder (PD). Patients with PD have shown decreased gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration in the ACC. The GABA concentration in the ACC was found to be associated with default mode network (DMN) activity in normal human subjects. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the DMN would show abnormal activity in PD. MethodsWe identified and compared the functional connectivity maps with seed region of interest (ROI) located in the perigenual area of ACC between the 11 patients with panic disorder and age- and sex-matched normal control subjects. Combining magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and resting fMRI, we investigated the correlation between the GABA concentration in the seed ROI and the index of functional connectivity between ACC and the area showing group differences. ResultsThe patients with PD showed increased functional connectivity between ACC and precuneus compared to control subjects. The functional connectivity between the ACC and the precuneus negatively correlated with the GABA concentration of the ACC. LimitationsThe relatively small sample size and seed based analysis with the selection of a single ROI limits the generalizability of the result. ConclusionsIncreased functional connectivity in the two medial nodes of the resting-state default mode network, the ACC and the precuneus, might play an important role in the pathophysiology of panic disorder. The treatment aimed to normalize the functional connectivity between ACC and precuneus might have clinical benefits in PD.

Alzheimer's disease-related changes in regional spontaneous brain activity levels and inter-region interactions in the default mode network

The degree of Granger causal modeling estimated influence for a brain region was reported to predict its blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activity level in the resting-state default mode network (DMN). Many brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), may alter the influence strength, activity levels, or both. Whether the relationship or prediction between these two will be affected under disease condition is unknown. In this study, the spontaneous brain activity, and inter-regional Granger causality connection were investigated over eight core DMN regions in AD patients in contrast to that in normal controls. Compared to normal control (NC), AD patients had both decreased BOLD activity level and Granger causal influence in medial prefrontal cortex and decreased activity level in inferior parietal cortex showed. However, the positive correlation between the BOLD activity level and the degree of the Granger causal modeling defined influence was found not altered by AD.

Reduced default mode network connectivity in treatment‐resistant idiopathic generalized epilepsy

Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) resistant to treatment is common, but its neuronal correlates are not entirely understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine resting-state default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity in patients with treatment-resistant IGE. Treatment resistance was defined as continuing seizures despite an adequate dose of valproic acid (valproate, VPA). Data from 60 epilepsy patients and 38 healthy controls who underwent simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were included (EEG/fMRI). Independent component analysis (ICA) and dual regression were used to quantify DMN connectivity. Confirmatory analysis using seed-based voxel correlation was performed. There was a significant reduction of DMN connectivity in patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy when compared to patients who were treatment responsive and healthy controls. Connectivity was negatively correlated with duration of epilepsy. Our findings in this large sample of patients with IGE indicate the presence of reduced DMN connectivity in IGE and show that connectivity is further reduced in treatment-resistant epilepsy. DMN connectivity may be useful as a biomarker for treatment resistance.

Default-mode network dysfunction and self-referential processing in healthy siblings of schizophrenia patients

The default-mode network (DMN) of the brain shows highly coherent intrinsic activity in healthy subjects and is implicated in self-referential processing important for social cognitive functioning. Schizophrenia patients show abnormal resting-state connectivity within the DMN and this aberrant connectivity is thought to contribute to difficulties in self-referential and introspective processing. Subjects at increased genetic risk of developing schizophrenia, including unaffected siblings of patients, also exhibit brain abnormalities and impaired social cognitive processing. However, it is unclear whether resting-state connectivity within the DMN is abnormal in these subjects. Here, we investigate resting-state DMN connectivity in siblings and whether this is related to the functioning of the network during self-referential processing. Brain activity was measured using functional MRI in 25 unaffected siblings of patients with schizophrenia and 25 healthy controls during an 8-minute resting-state period and during a self-referential processing task in which the subjects had to indicate whether a trait adjective (e.g. “lazy”) described their personality (self-referential condition) or whether the trait was socially desirable (non-referential condition). Compared with controls, siblings showed exaggerated connectivity during resting-state between the midline areas of the DMN. Moreover, they failed to adequately modulate connectivity between these areas during self-referential processing. No abnormalities in activation during self-referential processing were observed. These findings suggest that subjects at increased genetic risk of developing schizophrenia exhibit abnormal intrinsic connectivity within the midline DMN and that this is associated with aberrant interactions between these regions during self-referential processing.

Functional Alteration of the DMN by Learned Regulation of the PCC Using Real-Time fMRI

The default mode network (DMN) is a network of brain regions that are active during rest and suppressed during a cognitively demanding task. Previous studies have shown that the DMN can be altered by development, aging, disorder, cognitive tasks and offline training. However, it's unclear whether activity in the DMN can be altered by real-time training. Recently, real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI), as a novel neurofeedback technique, has been applied to train subjects to voluntarily control activities in specific brain regions. In the current study, it was found that by using rtfMRI to guide training, subjects were able to learn to decrease activity in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), which is a "key hub" in the DMN, using motor imagery strategy. After the real-time training, activity in the medial prefrontral cortex/ anterior cingulate cortex (MPFC/ACC) of the resting state DMN was decreased. By contrast, the control group without neurofeedback produced increased activity in the MPFC/ACC of the DMN during the post-training resting state. These findings suggest that this rtfMRI technique has great potential to be used in the regulation of the DMN and may be a novel approach for studying functional plasticity of the cortex.

Activity Dependent Degeneration Explains Hub Vulnerability in Alzheimer's Disease

Brain connectivity studies have revealed that highly connected ‘hub’ regions are particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer pathology: they show marked amyloid-β deposition at an early stage. Recently, excessive local neuronal activity has been shown to increase amyloid deposition. In this study we use a computational model to test the hypothesis that hub regions possess the highest level of activity and that hub vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease is due to this feature. Cortical brain regions were modeled as neural masses, each describing the average activity (spike density and spectral power) of a large number of interconnected excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The large-scale network consisted of 78 neural masses, connected according to a human DTI-based cortical topology. Spike density and spectral power were positively correlated with structural and functional node degrees, confirming the high activity of hub regions, also offering a possible explanation for high resting state Default Mode Network activity. ‘Activity dependent degeneration’ (ADD) was simulated by lowering synaptic strength as a function of the spike density of the main excitatory neurons, and compared to random degeneration. Resulting structural and functional network changes were assessed with graph theoretical analysis. Effects of ADD included oscillatory slowing, loss of spectral power and long-range synchronization, hub vulnerability, and disrupted functional network topology. Observed transient increases in spike density and functional connectivity match reports in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients, and may not be compensatory but pathological. In conclusion, the assumption of excessive neuronal activity leading to degeneration provides a possible explanation for hub vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease, supported by the observed relation between connectivity and activity and the reproduction of several neurophysiologic hallmarks. The insight that neuronal activity might play a causal role in Alzheimer's disease can have implications for early detection and interventional strategies.

Dysfunction of default-mode network in encephalopathy with a reversible corpus callosum lesion

Increasing attention has been paid recently to the study of spontaneous brain activity; moreover, particular attention has been paid to the concept of a default-mode network of brain function. Although the functional significance of the default-mode network remains a matter of debate, it has been suggested to be a candidate for the network subserving basic functions related to consciousness. We report the case of a 29-year-old man with encephalopathy and a reversible lesion of the entire corpus callosum. Despite resolution of corpus callosum lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 1week, the patient persistently presented disturbance of consciousness. Resting-state functional MRI revealed that the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus was functionally disconnected from other brain regions within the default-mode network. Our case report suggests that assessment of the functional connectivity in the resting-state default-mode network could be a useful marker of consciousness disturbance even in the presence of a reversible brain lesion.

Evidence of a Dissociation Pattern in Resting-State Default Mode Network Connectivity in First-Episode, Treatment-Naive Major Depression Patients

Imaging studies have shown that major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with altered activity patterns of the default mode network (DMN). However, the neural correlates of the resting-state DMN and MDD-related pathopsychological characteristics, such as depressive rumination and overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) phenomena, still remain unclear. Using independent component analysis, we analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from 35 first-episode, treatment-naive young adults with MDD and from 35 matched healthy control subjects. Patients with MDD exhibited higher levels of rumination and OGM than did the control subjects. We observed increased functional connectivity in the anterior medial cortex regions (especially the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex) and decreased functional connectivity in the posterior medial cortex regions (especially the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus) in MDD patients compared with control subjects. In the depressed group, the increased functional connectivity in the anterior medial cortex correlated positively with rumination score, while the decreased functional connectivity in the posterior medial cortex correlated negatively with OGM score. We report dissociation between anterior and posterior functional connectivity in resting-state DMNs of first-episode, treatment-naive young adults with MDD. Increased functional connectivity in anterior medial regions of the resting-state DMN was associated with rumination, whereas decreased functional connectivity in posterior medial regions was associated with OGM. These results provide new evidence for the importance of the DMN in the pathophysiology of MDD and suggest that abnormal DMN activity may be an MDD trait.

Alteration of brain default network in subacute phase of injury in concussed individuals: Resting-state fMRI study

There are a number of symptoms, both neurological and behavioral, associated with a single episode of r mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Neuropsychological testing and conventional neuroimaging techniques are not sufficiently sensitive to detect these changes, which adds to the complexity and difficulty in relating symptoms from mTBI to their underlying structural or functional deficits. With the inability of traditional brain imaging techniques to properly assess the severity of brain damage induced by mTBI, there is hope that more advanced neuroimaging applications will be more sensitive, as well as specific, in accurately assessing mTBI. In this study, we used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate the default mode network (DMN) in the subacute phase of mTBI. Fourteen concussed student-athletes who were asymptomatic based upon clinical symptoms resolution and clearance for aerobic exercise by medical professionals were scanned using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Nine additional asymptomatic yet not medically cleared athletes were recruited to investigate the effect of a single episode of mTBI versus multiple mTBIs on the resting state DMN. In concussed individuals the resting state DMN showed a reduced number of connections and strength of connections in the posterior cingulate and lateral parietal cortices. An increased number of connections and strength of connections was seen in the medial prefrontal cortex. Connections between the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex and left lateral parietal cortex showed a significant reduction in magnitude as the number of concussions increased. Regression analysis also indicated an overall loss of connectivity as the number of mTBI episodes increased. Our findings indicate that alterations in the brain resting state default mode network in the subacute phase of injury may be of use clinically in assessing the severity of mTBI and offering some insight into the pathophysiology of the disorder.

Altered resting-state connectivity in subjects at ultra-high risk for psychosis: an fMRI study

BackgroundIndividuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis have self-disturbances and deficits in social cognition and functioning. Midline default network areas, including the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, are implicated in self-referential and social cognitive tasks. Thus, the neural substrates within the default mode network (DMN) have the potential to mediate self-referential and social cognitive information processing in UHR subjects.MethodsThis study utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate resting-state DMN and task-related network (TRN) functional connectivity in 19 UHR subjects and 20 matched healthy controls. The bilateral posterior cingulate cortex was selected as a seed region, and the intrinsic organization for all subjects was reconstructed on the basis of fMRI time series correlation.ResultsDefault mode areas included the posterior/anterior cingulate cortices, the medial prefrontal cortex, the lateral parietal cortex, and the inferior temporal region. Task-related network areas included the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area, the inferior parietal lobule, and middle temporal cortex. Compared to healthy controls, UHR subjects exhibit hyperconnectivity within the default network regions and reduced anti-correlations (or negative correlations nearer to zero) between the posterior cingulate cortex and task-related areas.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that abnormal resting-state network activity may be related with the clinical features of UHR subjects. Neurodevelopmental and anatomical alterations of cortical midline structure might underlie altered intrinsic networks in UHR subjects.

Resting state default‐mode network connectivity in early depression using a seed region‐of‐interest analysis: Decreased connectivity with caudate nucleus

Reports on resting brain activity in healthy controls have described a default-mode network (DMN) and important differences in DMN connectivity have emerged for several psychiatric conditions. No study to date, however, has investigated resting-state DMN in relatively early depression before years of medication treatment. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to investigate the DMN in patients seeking help from specialized mental health services for the first time for symptoms of depression. Fourteen depressed subjects and 15 matched controls were scanned using 4-T functional magnetic resonance imaging while resting with eyes closed. All but one subject was medication free. A precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (P/PCC) seed-region connectivity analysis was used to identify the DMN and compare study groups in regions of relevance to depression. The P/PCC analysis identified the DMN well in both study groups, consistent with prior literature. Direct comparison showed significantly reduced correlation between the P/PCC and the bilateral caudate in depression compared with controls and no areas of increased connectivity in the depressed group. The present study is the first to investigate resting-state DMN in the early stages of treatment-seeking for depression. Depressed subjects had decreased connectivity between the P/PCC and the bilateral caudate, regions known to be involved in motivation and reward processing. Deficits in DMN connectivity with the caudate may be an early manifestation of major depressive disorder.

Amyloid Plaques Disrupt Resting State Default Mode Network Connectivity in Cognitively Normal Elderly

Important functional connections within the default mode network (DMN) are disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD), likely from amyloid-beta (Abeta) plaque-associated neuronal toxicity. Here, we sought to determine if pathological effects of Abeta amyloid plaques could be seen, even in the absence of a task, by examining functional connectivity in cognitively normal participants with and without preclinical amyloid deposition. Participants with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 35) were compared with 68 cognitively normal participants who were further subdivided by positron emission tomography (PET) Pittsburgh Compound-B (PIB) imaging into those without evidence of brain amyloid (PIB-) and those with brain amyloid (PIB+) deposition. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) demonstrated that, compared with the PIB- group, the PIB+ group differed significantly in functional connectivity of the precuneus to hippocampus, parahippocampus, anterior cingulate, dorsal cingulate, gyrus rectus, superior precuneus, and visual cortex. These differences were in the same regions and in the same direction as differences found in the AD group. Thus, before any manifestations of cognitive or behavioral changes, there were differences in resting state connectivity in cognitively normal subjects with brain amyloid deposition, suggesting that early manifestation of Abeta toxicity can be detected using resting state fMRI.

Reduced Synchrony of Resting-State Default Mode Network in Adults with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Reduced Synchrony of Resting-State Default Mode Network in Adults with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure