Task Modulation of Intrinsic Low-Frequency Temporal Connectivity in the Brain Default Mode Network

Jingyuan Chen¹, Catie Chang², Kui Ying¹, Yan Zhu¹, Gary Glover²

In our study, we used both cluster analysis and marginal/partial correlation analysis to quantify and compare how low-frequency temporal connectivity of the brain default mode network (DMN) changes during sustained tasks that activate and deactivate major regions in the network. We found that low-frequency temporal connectivity was not extinguished but attenuated within most major regions of DMN under tasks that deactivate its nodes relative to rest, and that more prefrontal regions were engaged in the network under such task modulation. Moreover, we noticed the persistence of low-frequency temporal connectivity in subjects whose DMN was activated by external task.