Mind-Wandering in Adolescents Predicts Worse Affect and Is Linked to Aberrant Default Mode Network-Salience Network
Christian A Webb1, Elana S Israel1, Emily Belleau1
1McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Objective:
Understanding the fluctuating emotional and cognitive states of adolescents with depressive symptoms requires fine-grained and naturalistic measurements. This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to investigate the affective correlates and consequences of mind-wandering in adolescents with anhedonia (AH) and typically developing (TD) controls. In addition, we examined the association between mind-wandering and resting state functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a core hub of the default mode network (DMN) linked to internally oriented mentation, and networks linked to attentional control (dorsal attention network [DAN]) and affect/salience detection (salience network [SN]).
Method:
A total of 65 adolescents, aged 12 to 18 years (TD = 36; AH = 29), completed a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan and subsequently used a smartphone application for ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data collection (2-3 times/d for 5 days). Each survey (N = 678) prompted adolescents to report on their current positive and negative affect (PA and NA), cognition, and activity.
Results:
The frequency of mind-wandering was higher for AH (70.0% of EMA samples) relative to TD (59.2%) participants, and the participants with AH were more likely to mind-wander to unpleasant content. Mind-wandering was associated with higher concurrent NA, even when controlling for plausible confounds (eg, current activity, social companion, rumination). Time-lagged analyses revealed a bidirectional association between mind-wandering and PA. Greater levels of mind-wandering within the AH group were associated with stronger mPFC-SN/DAN connectivity.
Conclusion:
Rates of mind-wandering were high, especially among adolescents with anhedonia, and predicted worse affect. The relation between mind-wandering and enhanced mPFC-SN coupling may reflect heightened bottom-up influence of affective and sensory salience on DMN-mediated internally oriented thought.
Related Concept Videos
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and...
Emerging Adulthood


