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Default network connectivity during a working memory task.
Robyn L Bluhm1, C Richard Clark, Alexander C McFarlane
1Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Human Brain Mapping
|July 22, 2010
Summary
This study reveals how brain connectivity changes during cognitive tasks. Default network regions like the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) connect differently with other brain areas during working memory tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- The default network shows correlated activity at rest.
- Default network activation decreases during cognitive tasks.
- Task-related changes in default network connectivity remain under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate task-related modulation of default network connectivity.
- To compare default network connectivity during rest versus a working memory task.
- To identify changes in connectivity between default network nodes (PCC, mPFC) and other brain regions.
Main Methods:
- Examined task-related modulation of connectivity in 12 healthy adults.
- Focused on seed regions: posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).
- Compared connectivity during resting state versus a working memory task.
Main Results:
- Little change in connectivity within the default network was observed.
- Moderate task-related changes occurred between default network seeds and regions outside the default network.
- Specific increases in connectivity were noted between PCC/mPFC and regions implicated in working memory, such as the inferior frontal gyri and cerebellum.
Conclusions:
- Default network connectivity is modulated during cognitive tasks, particularly working memory.
- Task performance involves altered connectivity patterns between default network regions and task-positive networks.
- These findings suggest a shift in functional brain organization during cognitive engagement.
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