Major advances in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques in the last two decades have provided a tool to better understand the functional organization of the brain both in health and illness. Despite such developments, characterizing regulation and cerebral representation of mind wandering, which occurs unavoidably during resting-state fMRI scans and may induce variability of the acquired data, remains a work in progress. Here, we demonstrate that a decrease or decoupling in functional connectivity involving the caudate nucleus, insula, medial prefrontal cortex and other domain-specific regions was associated with more sustained mind wandering in particular thought domains during resting-state fMRI. Importantly, our findings suggest that temporal and between-subject variations in functional connectivity of above-mentioned regions might be linked with the continuity of mind wandering. Our study not only provides a preliminary framework for characterizing the maintenance and cerebral representation of different types of mind wandering, but also highlights the importance of taking mind wandering into consideration when studying brain organization with resting-state fMRI in the future.

Purpose: To develop a high-speed T 2 mapping protocol that is capable of accurately measuring T 2 relaxation time constants from a single-shot acquisition. Theory: A new echo-split single-shot gradient-spin-echo (GRASE) pulse sequence is developed to acquire multicontrast data while suppressing signals from most nonprimary echo pathways in Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) echoes. Residual nonprimary pathway signals are taken into consideration when performing T 2 mapping using a parametric multiplexed sensitivity encoding based on projection onto convex sets (parametric-POCSMUSE) reconstruction method that incorporates extended phase graph modeling of GRASE signals. Methods: The single-shot echo-split GRASE-based T 2 mapping procedure was evaluated in human studies at 3 Tesla. The acquired data were compared with reference data obtained with a more time-consuming interleaved spin-echo echo planar imaging protocol. T 2 maps derived from conventional singleshot GRASE scans, in which nonprimary echo pathways were not appropriately addressed, were also evaluated. Results: Using the developed single-shot T 2 mapping protocol, quantitatively accurate T 2 maps can be obtained with a short scan time (<0.2 seconds per slice). Conclusion: Accurate T 2 mapping with minimal signal contamination from CPMG high-order echo pathways can be achieved by the developed method that integrates single-shot echo-split GRASE acquisition and parametric-POCSMUSE reconstruction. Magn Reson Med 79:383-393,