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Distinguishing the role of the default mode network in perceptually coupled social and decoupled states
Poster Session C, Friday, October 25, 4:30 - 6:00 pm, Great Hall 3 and 4
Meichao Zhang1,2,3, Bronte Mckeown4, Charlotte Murphy3, Chang Liu1,2, Daniel Margulies5, Robert Leech6, Jonathan Smallwood4, Elizabeth Jefferies3; 1Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3Department of Psychology, University of York, 4Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, 5Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Centre (UMR 8002), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université de Paris, 6Centre for Neuroimaging Science, Kings College London
Regions of parietal, temporal and frontal cortex within the default mode network (DMN) are linked to a range of states including perceptually-decoupled states of memory retrieval, and behaviours linked social, semantic, and spatial cognition. DMN regions are equidistant between regions linked to perception and action on the cortical mantle, suggesting its functional associations may depend on its relationship with primary systems. Our study set out to understand whether the functional relationship between DMN and visuomotor systems can help to explain its role in cognition in different situations. To this end we recorded functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while participants made category decisions (faces, objects, scenes) guided by either visual inputs or information from memory – all classes of stimuli linked to the DMN. Using this paradigm, we explored how the relationship between DMN and primary systems varied across perceptually coupled and decoupled situations. Distinct DMN regions responded selectively to memory-guided decisions, and social stimuli (faces) irrespective of whether decisions were based on memory or sensory input. The social-relevant DMN regions were linked to equivalent activity levels in visual and motor systems, and showed equal functional coupling to both systems. In contrast, stimulus-independent decision-making was associated with stronger recruitment of motor than visual regions, while DMN regions that responded in this situation showed more connectivity with visual cortex. These results are consistent with the view that the roles of DMN in distinct aspects of cognition are related to the different ways that this network interacts with regions related to perception and action.
Topic Areas: Meaning: Lexical Semantics, Multisensory or Sensorimotor Integration