The serendipitous discovery of the brain's default network
Abstract
One of the most unexpected findings by functional neuroimaging has been the discovery of the brain's default network - a set of brain regions that is spontaneously active during passive moments. The default network's discovery was a fortunate accident that occurred due to the inclusion of rest control conditions in early PET and functional MRI studies. At first, the network was ignored. Later, its presence was shunned as evidence of an experimental confound. Finally, it emerged as a mainstream target of focused study. Here, I describe a personal perspective of the default network's serendipitous discovery.
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The default mode network is necessary for the brain's internal model.
“I hypothesize, as others do (Mesulam, 2002; Hassabis and Maguire, 2009; Buckner, 2012), that the default mode network is necessary for the brain’s internal model.”
From The theory of constructed emotion: an active inference account of interoception and categorization (2016) · cites this paper as Buckner, 2012
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“Several prior discussions (e.g., Buckner et al., 2008; Callard and Margulies, 2011; Fox and Raichle 2007; Vincent et al., 2006) of the two phenomena have made their differences clear and early publications on the default network, including from the Medical College of Wisconsin (Binder et al.,…”
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- Authors
- Buckner, R. L.
- Affiliations
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Buckner, Randy L.
- ORCID
- Buckner, Randy L.
- Venue
- NeuroImage
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-08
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 1137-1145
- ISSN
- 1053-8119 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2106565313
- Cited by
- 304
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 1.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- NeuroImage (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- default mode network, spontaneous brain activity, resting state, history of neuroimaging, PET, functional MRI, history of discovery
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Humans, Nerve Net, Rest, History, 20th Century, History, 21st Century, Functional Neuroimaging
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