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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Combining Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and fMRI to Examine the Default Mode Network

Combining Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and fMRI to Examine the Default Mode Network

Published on: December 28, 2010

The brain's default network and its adaptive role in internal mentation.

Jessica R Andrews-Hanna¹

¹Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0894, USA. Jessica.Andrews-Hanna@colorado.edu

The Neuroscientist : a Review Journal Bringing Neurobiology, Neurology and Psychiatry

|June 17, 2011

Summary

The brain's default network, active during idle moments, is crucial for internal mentation. This review synthesizes imaging and behavioral data to clarify its structure and adaptive functions in everyday introspection.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology

Background:

The human brain exhibits a consistent activity pattern in specific cortical regions during rest, known as the default network.
The precise anatomical organization and adaptive functions of the default network remain incompletely understood despite its robust activation.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize current literature on the default network's structure and function.
To elucidate the role of the default network in internal mentation and mind wandering.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies.
Integration of behavioral research on mind wandering.

Main Results:

The default network comprises interacting hubs and subsystems.
This network is integral to "internal mentation," encompassing spontaneous and deliberate introspective activities.
Evidence links default network activity to the phenomenon of mind wandering.

Conclusions:

The default network is a key neural system supporting internal mentation.
Further research is needed to fully map its anatomical complexity and functional significance in adaptive cognition.