On the relationship between the "default mode network" and the "social brain"

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Social Neuroscience

Background:

• The default mode network (DMN) traditionally shows higher activity during rest.
• Recent findings suggest DMN activation during specific cognitive tasks.
• Social cognition, especially mental state attribution, is hypothesized to engage DMN-related areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the proposed overlap between the default mode network and brain networks involved in social cognition.
• To review evidence supporting the activation of DMN-associated regions during higher-order social tasks.
• To examine the presence of a DMN in non-human primates and its relation to social cognition.

Main Methods:

• Meta-analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.
• Review of recent studies on structural and functional connectivity of the social brain.
• Synthesis of evidence regarding DMN involvement in social cognition.

Main Results:

• Evidence suggests a partial overlap between the DMN and brain regions activated during social cognition tasks.
• Functional and structural connectivity studies support the integration of social brain networks with the DMN.
• Emerging evidence indicates a DMN in non-human primates, potentially involved in social processing.

Conclusions:

• The DMN is not exclusively a resting-state network; it engages in higher-order cognitive functions like social cognition.
• The findings highlight the interconnectedness of the DMN and social brain networks.
• The existence of a DMN in primates offers comparative insights into social cognition evolution.