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Lesion network mapping demonstrates that mind‐wandering is associated with the default mode network
Author(s) -
Philippi Carissa L.,
Bruss Joel,
Boes Aaron D.,
Albazron Fatimah M.,
Deifelt Streese Carolina,
Ciaramelli Elisa,
Rudrauf David,
Tranel Daniel
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.24648
Subject(s) - default mode network , lesion , neuroscience , mind wandering , task positive network , inferior parietal lobule , prefrontal cortex , inferior frontal gyrus , psychology , neuroimaging , hippocampal formation , brain mapping , functional magnetic resonance imaging , cognition , psychiatry
Functional neuroimaging research has consistently associated brain structures within the default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN) with mind‐wandering. Targeted lesion research has documented impairments in mind‐wandering after damage to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampal regions associated with the DMN. However, no lesion studies to date have applied lesion network mapping to identify common networks associated with deficits in mind‐wandering. In lesion network mapping, resting‐state functional connectivity data from healthy participants are used to infer which brain regions are functionally connected to each lesion location from a sample with brain injury. In the current study, we conducted a lesion network mapping analysis to test the hypothesis that lesions affecting the DMN and FPN would be associated with diminished mind‐wandering. We assessed mind‐wandering frequency on the Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI) in participants with brain injury ( n = 29) and healthy comparison participants without brain injury ( n = 19). Lesion network mapping analyses showed the strongest association of reduced mind‐wandering with the left inferior parietal lobule within the DMN. In addition, traditional lesion symptom mapping results revealed that reduced mind‐wandering was associated with lesions of the dorsal, ventral, and anterior sectors of mPFC, parietal lobule, and inferior frontal gyrus in the DMN ( p < 0.05 uncorrected). These findings provide novel lesion support for the role of the DMN in mind‐wandering and contribute to a burgeoning literature on the neural correlates of spontaneous cognition.