Shared and differential default-mode related patterns of activity in an autobiographical, a self-referential and an attentional task

Abstract

The default-mode network (DMN) comprises a set of brain regions that show deactivations during performance of attentionally demanding tasks, but also activation during certain processes including recall of autobiographical memories and processing information about oneself, among others. However, the DMN is not activated in a homogeneous manner during performance of such tasks, so it is not clear to what extent its activation patterns correspond to deactivation patterns seen during attention-demanding tasks. In this fMRI study we compared patterns of activation in response to an autobiographical memory task to those observed in a self/other-reflection task, and compared both to deactivations observed during the n-back working memory task. Autobiographical recall and self-reflection activated several common DMN areas, which were also deactivated below baseline levels by the n-back task. Activation in the medial temporal lobe was seen during autobiographical recall but not the self/other task, and right angular gyrus activity was specifically linked to other-reflection. ROI analysis showed that most, but not all DMN regions were activated above baseline levels during the autobiographical memory and self-reflection tasks. Our results provide evidence for the usefulness of the autobiographical memory task to study DMN activity and support the notion of interacting subsystems within this network.

Brain imaging correlates of self- and other-reflection in schizophrenia

“…The task used in the present study was adapted from the one described in Modinos et al. (2009) and has already been used in healthy subjects by our group (Fuentes-Claramonte et al., 2019) to investigate the processing of information related to the self and another known person, compared to general semantic knowledge. To best isolate the components of interest for our study, this task uses (1) a semantic control condition (matched in perceptual and motor requirements and in statement complexity with the conditions of interest) to separate self- and other-reflection from processing of externally-oriented information, and (2) an ‘other’ condition aimed to compare reflection upon oneself to reflection on other individuals within the participant's environment, for which we selected an ‘other’ personally known by the participant (so responses might be based on previous interactions and not so much on semantic knowledge, and so exposure to this ‘other’ might be more uniform across participants than with public figures), but not a very close ‘other’ to avoid strong emotional investment.…”

“…the direct comparison between self- and other-reflection). We will use a self/other-reflection task based on previous studies (Modinos et al., 2009; van der Meer et al., 2013) that we have already used successfully in healthy subjects (Fuentes-Claramonte et al., 2019), where we observed significant differences between self- and other-reflection in DMN regions with the specific involvement of the right posterior TPJ (angular gyrus) in other, but not self-reflection. Considering the variability in the tasks used in the previous literature, we have selected this task to best isolate the components of interest for our study.…”

Effects of mindfulness training on the default mode network in borderline personality disorder

“…For a detailed explanation of the ANOVA fMRI design used in this study, see see/fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/fslwiki/GLM. The fMRI analyses were centred at the 2‐back versus baseline contrast because this explicitly evaluates differences between rest and working memory activity, which shows the most pronounced differences according to previous studies (Fuentes‐Claramonte et al, ; Pomarol‐Clotet et al, ).…”

Multimodal Integration of Brain Images for MRI-Based Diagnosis in Schizophrenia

“…MRI acquisitions included a T1 structural image, a resting-state fMRI sequence, and an fMRI acquisition obtained during performance of the n back task (a working memory task). Acquisition parameters as well as a detailed description of the preprocessing steps applied to the images can be found in previous reports: T1 (Salvador et al, 2017b), resting-state fMRI (Salvador et al, 2017a), and the n -back task (Fuentes-Claramonte et al, 2019). Images from all modalities were coregistered to the same standard MNI152 T1 2 mm template.…”

“…We used images containing the individual regression coefficients for the two main contrasts of the n -bask task: 1back-vs.-baseline and 2back-vs.-baseline (Gevins and Cutillo, 1993; Fuentes-Claramonte et al, 2019). Finally, from the resting-state fMRI sequences, we derived two brain maps containing complementary information.…”