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Cited by 2,102Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesMind wandering and attentionNeurobiology of Language and Bilingualism

The default network and self-generated thought: component processes, dynamic control, and clinical relevance

Open access
Andrews‐Hanna, Jessica R., Smallwood, Jonathan, Spreng, R. Nathan·2014·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1111/nyas.12360PMC PMC4039623
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Abstract

Though only a decade has elapsed since the default network (DN) was first defined as a large‐scale brain system, recent years have brought great insight into the network's adaptive functions. A growing theme highlights the DN as playing a key role in internally directed or self‐generated thought. Here, we synthesize recent findings from cognitive science, neuroscience, and clinical psychology to focus attention on two emerging topics as current and future directions surrounding the DN. First, we present evidence that self‐generated thought is a multifaceted construct whose component processes are supported by different subsystems within the network. Second, we highlight the dynamic nature of the DN, emphasizing its interaction with executive control systems when regulating aspects of internal thought. We conclude by discussing clinical implications of disruptions to the integrity of the network, and consider disorders when thought content becomes polarized or network interactions become disrupted or imbalanced.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1111/nyas.12360

Cites

253 of 253 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 117 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingcitation

    Adults spend between 30% and 50% of their waking day engaged in thoughts unrelated to ongoing activities.

    “Experience-sampling studies estimate that adults spend between 30% and 50% of their waking day engaged in thoughts unrelated to ongoing activities,4,25–27”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [4] Killingsworth MA Gilbert DT A wandering mind is an unhappy mind Science 330 932 2010 21071660 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [25] Klinger E Cox W Dimensions of thought flow in everyday life Imagin Cogn Pers 7 105 128 1987 source

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    • cites [26] Kane MJ For whom the mind wanders, and when: an experience-sampling study of working memory and executive control in daily life Psychol Sci 18 614 621 2007 17614870 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [27] Song X Wang X Mind wandering in Chinese daily lives–an experience sampling study PloS One 7 e44423 2012 22957071 PMC3434139 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Findingcitation

    The default network has an anticorrelated or antiphase relationship with the dorsal attention network.

    “The DN has an anticorrelated or antiphase relationship with the dorsal attention network (DAN),14,139,140 a brain system consisting of the posterior prefrontal cortex, the inferior precentral sulcus, the superior occipital gyrus, the middle temporal motion complex, and the superior parietal lobule14,51,141 (Fig. 5A).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 5 sources checked
    • cites [14] Fox MD The human brain is intrinsically organized into dynamic, anticorrelated functional networks Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102 9673 9678 2005 15976020 PMC1157105 source

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    • cites [139] Keller CJ Neurophysiological investigation of spontaneous correlated and anticorrelated fluctuations of the BOLD Signal J Neurosci 33 6333 6342 2013 23575832 PMC3652257 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [140] Golland Y Golland P Bentin S Malach R Data-driven clustering reveals a fundamental subdivision of the human cortex into two global systems Neuropsychologia 46 540 53 2008 18037453 PMC4468071 source

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    • cites [51] Yeo BTT The organization of the human cerebral cortex estimated by intrinsic functional connectivity J Neurophysiol 106 1125 1265 2011 21653723 PMC3174820 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [141] Corbetta M Shulman GL Control of goal-directed and stimulus-driven attention in the brain Nat Rev Neurosci 3 201 215 2002 11994752 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Findingown data

    NeuroSynth meta-analyses showed the medial temporal subsystem corresponded most strongly with past and future autobiographical thought, episodic memory, and contextual retrieval.

    “The medial temporal subsystem corresponded most strongly with meta-analytic maps pertaining to past and future autobiographical thought (i.e., autobiographical, past, future), episodic memory (i.e., episodic, memories, remember, recollection, recall) and contextual retrieval (i.e., contextual, retrieval) (Fig. 4).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [65] Yarkoni T Poldrack RA Nichols TE Essen DCV Wager TD Large-scale automated synthesis of human functional neuroimaging data Nat Methods 8 665 670 2011 21706013 PMC3146590 source

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  • Findingcitation

    Self-generated thoughts tend to have a prospective rather than retrospective temporal bias.

    “Additionally, self-generated thoughts tend to have a temporal focus, being characterized more by a prospective than a retrospective bias.22,27,30,32,33,40”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 6 sources checked
    • cites [22] Andrews-Hanna JR Reidler JS Huang C Randy L Buckner RL Evidence for the default network’s role in spontaneous cognition J Neurophysiol 104 322 335 2010 20463201 PMC2904225 source

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    • cites [27] Song X Wang X Mind wandering in Chinese daily lives–an experience sampling study PloS One 7 e44423 2012 22957071 PMC3434139 source

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    • cites [30] Smallwood J Self-reflection and the temporal focus of the wandering mind Conscious Cogn 4 1120 1126 2011 21277803 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [32] Stawarczyk D Cassol H D’Argembeau A Phenomenology of future-oriented mind-wandering episodes Front Psychol 4 1 12 2013 23882236 PMC3712143 source

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    • cites [33] Baird B Smallwood J Schooler JW Back to the future: Autobiographical planning and the functionality of mind-wandering Conscious Cogn 20 1604 1611 2011 21917482 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [40] Smallwood J Nind L O’Connor RC When is your head at? An exploration of the factors associated with the temporal focus of the wandering mind Conscious Cogn 18 118 125 2009 19121953 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Findingcitation

    Hierarchical clustering of resting-state and task fMRI data from default network regions identified two separable components, each highly correlated with a midline core.

    “Initial evidence for subsystems within the DN was provided by Andrews-Hanna et al.,50 who used hierarchical clustering analyses to partition RSFC and task-related fMRI data from eleven left-lateralized and midline DN regions into two separable components, each of which were highly correlated with a midline core (Fig. 3A).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [50] Andrews-Hanna JR Reidler JS Sepulcre J Poulin R Buckner RL Functional-anatomic fractionation of the brain’s default network Neuron 65 550 562 2010 20188659 PMC2848443 source

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  • May combine two claims. 24
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 4

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    NeuroSynth meta-analyses showed the dorsal medial subsystem corresponded most strongly with mentalizing and social cognition, as well as story comprehension and semantic or conceptual processing.

    “Out of 526 meta-analyses in the NeuroSynth database, the dorsal medial subsystem corresponded most strongly with meta-analytic maps pertaining to mentalizing and social cognition (i.e., mentalizing, social, person, theory of mind, mental, scenarios), as well as story comprehension and semantic/conceptual processing (i.e., comprehension, semantic, sentence, story, meaning, knowledge, language, word”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [65] Yarkoni T Poldrack RA Nichols TE Essen DCV Wager TD Large-scale automated synthesis of human functional neuroimaging data Nat Methods 8 665 670 2011 21706013 PMC3146590 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    The dorsal attention network supports visuospatial processing, and its engagement results in suppression of the default network.

    “The DAN supports visuospatial processing,141 and its engagement results in the suppression of the DN.142”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [141] Corbetta M Shulman GL Control of goal-directed and stimulus-driven attention in the brain Nat Rev Neurosci 3 201 215 2002 11994752 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [142] Toro R Fox PT Paus T Functional coactivation map of the human brain Cereb Cortex 18 2553 2559 2008 18296434 PMC2567424 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    The magnitude of default network-dorsal attention network anticorrelation relates to cognitive performance and certain psychopathological disorders.

    “The magnitude of anticorrelation also relates to cognitive performance145 and certain psychopathological disorders (see below).146–148”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [145] Kelly AMC Uddin LQ Biswal BB Castellanos FX Milham MP Competition between functional brain networks mediates behavioral variability NeuroImage 39 527 537 2008 17919929 source

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    • cites [146] Sonuga-barke EJS Castellanos FX Spontaneous attentional fluctuations in impaired states and pathological conditions: A neurobiological hypothesis Brain 31 977 986 2007 17445893

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [147] Whitfield-Gabrieli S Ford JM Default mode network activity and connectivity in psychopathology Annu Rev Clin Psychol 8 49 76 2012 22224834 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [148] Anticevic A The Role of Default Network Deactivation in Cognition and Disease Trends in Cognitive Sciences 1 9 2012 PMC3501603 23142417 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    The dynamic balance between the default network and dorsal attention network emerges in early childhood and is reduced with advancing age.

    “This dynamic balance emerges in early childhood143 and is reduced with advancing age.144”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [143] Gao W The synchronization within and interaction between the default and dorsal attention networks in early infancy Cereb Cortex 23 594 603 2012 22368080 PMC3563337 source

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    • cites [144] Spreng RN Schacter DL Default network modulation and large-scale network interactivity in healthy young and old adults Cereb Cortex 22 2610 2621 2012 22128194 PMC3464415 source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    The default network plays a key role in internally directed or self-generated thought.

    “A growing theme highlights the default network as playing a key role in internally-directed—or self-generated—thought.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    The default network and self-generated thought are directly relevant to psychopathology and disease.

    “Finally, we propose that the DN and self-generated thought is directly relevant to psychopathology and disease.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    These meta-analytic findings provide initial evidence of functional dissociation and interactions among default network components.

    “These findings provide initial evidence of functional dissociation and interactions among the DN components.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    A default network core represents personally relevant information, the medial temporal subsystem brings associative information to mind to construct coherent mental scenes, and the dorsal medial subsystem supports metacognitive reflection on self and other using stored conceptual knowledge.

    “We propose that a DN core works to represent information that is personally relevant, the medial temporal subsystem allows an individual to bring associative information to mind to construct coherent mental scenes, and the dorsal medial subsystem allows information related to self and other to be reflected upon in a meta-cognitive manner, likely using stored conceptual knowledge.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    Disruptions to the integrity of the default network have clinical implications, and disorders can involve polarized thought content or disrupted or imbalanced network interactions.

    “We conclude by discussing clinical implications of disruptions to the integrity of the network, and consider disorders when thought content becomes polarized or network interactions become disrupted or imbalanced.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    The content of self-generated thoughts suggests they serve an adaptive purpose by helping individuals prepare for upcoming events, form self-identity and continuity, and navigate the social world.

    “The content of self-generated thoughts suggests that they serve an adaptive purpose by allowing individuals to prepare for upcoming events,33 form a sense of self-identity and continuity across time,30,34 and navigate the social world.35–37”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 6 sources checked
    • cites [33] Baird B Smallwood J Schooler JW Back to the future: Autobiographical planning and the functionality of mind-wandering Conscious Cogn 20 1604 1611 2011 21917482 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [30] Smallwood J Self-reflection and the temporal focus of the wandering mind Conscious Cogn 4 1120 1126 2011 21277803 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [34] Prebble SC Addis DR Tippett LJ Autobiographical memory and sense of self Psychological bulletin 139 815 40 2013 23025923 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [35] Ruby FJ Smallwood J Sackur J Singer T 2013 Is Self-Generated Thought a means of Social Problem Solving? Front Psychol 4 962 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00962 24391621 PMC3870294 source

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    • cites [36] Immordino-Yang MH Christodoulou Ja Singh V Rest Is not idleness: implications of the brain’s default mode for human development and education Perspectives on Psychological Science 7 352 364 2012 26168472 source

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    • cites [37] Mar RA Mason MF Litvack A How daydreaming relates to life satisfaction, loneliness, and social support: the importance of gender and daydream content Conscious Cogn 21 401 407 2012 22033437 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Spreng and colleagues' resting-state functional connectivity MRI and graph analyses found little positive connectivity between default and dorsal attention networks, high connectivity between each of these networks and the frontoparietal control network, and preferential pairwise connectivity among core network nodes.

    “the authors observed little positive connectivity between default and dorsal attention networks, accompanied by a high degree of connectivity between each of these networks and the FPCN, with preferential patterns of pairwise connectivity amongst core network nodes (Fig. 5).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [163] Spreng RN Sepulcre J Turner GR Stevens WD Schacter DL Intrinsic architecture underlying the relations among the default, dorsal attention, and frontoparietal control networks of the human brain J Cogn Neurosci 25 74 86 2013 22905821 PMC3816715 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The salience network is involved in detecting behaviorally significant external stimuli and in dynamically switching between external and internal attention.

    “Evidence suggests that the salience network is involved in the detection of behaviorally significant stimuli in the external environment243 and plays a key role in dynamically switching between external and internal modes of attention.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [243] Seeley WW Dissociable intrinsic connectivity networks for salience processing and executive control J Neurosci 27 2349 2356 2007 17329432 PMC2680293 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    The frontoparietal control network is anatomically positioned between the default and dorsal attention networks and may modulate their activation and suppression according to goal states.

    “Although spatially distinct, the FPCN is anatomically interposed between the default and dorsal attention networks,51,160,162 suggesting it may play an important modulatory role in the activation and suppression of these other networks based on switching goal states.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [51] Yeo BTT The organization of the human cerebral cortex estimated by intrinsic functional connectivity J Neurophysiol 106 1125 1265 2011 21653723 PMC3174820 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [160] Vincent JL Kahn I Snyder AZ Raichle ME Buckner RL Evidence for a frontoparietal control system revealed by intrinsic functional connectivity J Neurophysiol 100 3328 3342 2008 18799601 PMC2604839 source

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    • cites [162] Spreng RN Stevens WD Chamberlain JP Gilmore AW Schacter DL Default network activity, coupled with the frontoparietal control network, supports goal-directed cognition NeuroImage 53 303 317 2010 20600998 PMC2914129 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Behavioral findings on self-generated thought reflect the experiential equivalent of contextual changes in frontoparietal-default network correlation and support the context regulation hypothesis.

    “Together these findings have been suggested to reflect the experiential equivalent of the contextual changes in the correlation between the frontoparietal and default networks,2 and provide support for the context regulation hypothesis10”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [2] Smallwood J Distinguishing how from why the mind wanders: A process–occurrence framework for self-generated mental activity Psychol Bull 139 519 535 2013 23607430 source

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    • cites [10] Smallwood J Andrews-Hanna J Not all minds that wander are lost: the importance of a balanced perspective on the mind-wandering state Front Psychol 4 1 6 2013 23966961 PMC3744871 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In Spreng and colleagues' study, visuospatial planning engaged the dorsal attention network, autobiographical planning engaged the default network, and both engaged the frontoparietal control network; the control network coupled with the default network during autobiographical planning and with the dorsal attention network during visuospatial planning.

    “Visuospatial planning engaged the DAN, whereas autobiographical planning engaged the DN. Both engaged the FPCN and, critically, task-related functional connectivity analyses indicated that this network was coupled with the DN during autobiographical planning and with the dorsal attention network during visuospatial planning.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [162] Spreng RN Stevens WD Chamberlain JP Gilmore AW Schacter DL Default network activity, coupled with the frontoparietal control network, supports goal-directed cognition NeuroImage 53 303 317 2010 20600998 PMC2914129 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Individuals with ADHD exhibit elevated response-time variability, supporting theories that the default network interferes with maintenance of external task goals by periodically disrupting on-task attention.

    “In addition to these manifestations, individuals with ADHD also exhibit elevated response-time variability,236 supporting theories that the DN interferes with maintenance of external task goals by periodically disrupting on-task attention.146,232”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [236] Castellanos FX Varieties of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-related intra-individual variability Biol Psychiatry 57 1416 1423 2005 15950016 PMC1236991 source

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    • cites [146] Sonuga-barke EJS Castellanos FX Spontaneous attentional fluctuations in impaired states and pathological conditions: A neurobiological hypothesis Brain 31 977 986 2007 17445893

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [232] Castellanos FX Proal E Large-scale brain systems in ADHD: beyond the prefrontal–striatal model Trends Cogn Sci 16 17 26 2011 22169776 PMC3272832 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The default network is both an essential part of normal human functioning and can be a critical element of poor psychological well-being.

    “These observations explain why the network is both an essential part of normal human functioning and can be a critical element of poor psychological well-being.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Depressed individuals tend to exhibit perseverative focus on unachievable or failed goal states, which could maintain or exacerbate negative affect, a process termed depressive interlock.

    “This pattern may reflect the fact that depressed individuals tend to exhibit a perseverative focus on unachievable or failed goal states, which could maintain, if not exacerbate, states of negative affect—a process that has been termed depressive interlock.220”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [220] Barnard PJ Teasdale JD Interacting cognitive subsystems: A systemic approach to cognitive-affective interaction and change Cogn Emot 5 1 39 1991 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Disorders affecting the structural or functional integrity of the default network will produce marked impairments in the quality of self-generated thought and may compromise its production mechanism altogether.

    “In summary, disorders that affect the integrity of the default network’s structural or functional neuroanatomy (e.g., aging, neurodegenerative disease, focal lesions,105 or disorders of consciousness205) will produce marked impairments in the quality of self-generated thought and may compromise the production mechanism altogether.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [105] Hayes SM Salat DH Verfaellie M Default network connectivity in medial temporal lobe amnesia J Neurosci 32 14622 14629 2012 23077048 PMC3573849 source

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    • cites [205] Vanhaudenhuyse A Default network connectivity reflects the level of consciousness in non-communicative brain-damaged patients Brain 133 161 71 2010 20034928 PMC2801329 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Depressed individuals who ruminate have sticky thoughts and problems updating working memory and task switching, such that prior goal states exert a stronger influence on ongoing mental processes than normal.

    “Depressed individuals, particularly those who ruminate, have “sticky thoughts” and problems with updating the contents of working memory and task switching such that prior goal states exert a stronger influence on on-going mental processes than normal.237,238”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [237] Joormann J Levens SM Gotlib IH Sticky thoughts: depression and rumination are associated with difficulties manipulating emotional material in working memory Psychol Sci 22 979 983 2011 21742932 PMC11862919 source

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    • cites [238] Joormann J Cognitive inhibition and emotion regulation in depression Curr Dir Psychol Sci 19 161 166 2010 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In healthy older adults, default network integrity is diminished in function and structure, and these declines are associated with memory impairments.

    “In healthy older adults, the integrity of the DN is diminished both in function186,187 and structure,188 and observed declines are associated with impairments in memory function.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [186] Andrews-Hanna JR Disruption of large-scale brain systems in advanced aging Neuron 56 924 935 2007 18054866 PMC2709284 source

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    • cites [187] Damoiseaux JS Reduced resting-state brain activity in the ‘default network’ in normal aging Cereb Cortex 18 1856 1864 2008 18063564 source

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    • cites [188] Spreng RN Turner GR Structural covariance of the default network in healthy and pathological aging J Neurosci 33 15226 15234 2013 24048852 PMC3776065 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    These impairments often manifest as increased distractibility or elevated mind-wandering, as well as hyperactivity of the default network and weaker anticorrelations with networks involved in external attention.

    “These impairments often manifest as increased distractibility or elevated levels of mind-wandering,212,228–231 as well as hyperactivity of the DN and weaker anticorrelations with networks involved in external attention.146–148,229,232–235”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 10 sources checked
    • cites [212] Watkins ER Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought Psychol Bull 134 163 206 2008 18298268 PMC2672052 source

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    • cites [228] Barkley RA Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: constructing a unifying theory of ADHD Psychol Bull 121 65 94 1997 9000892 source

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    • cites [229] Marchetti I Koster EHW Sonuga-Barke EJ De Raedt R The default mode network and recurrent depression: A neurobiological model of cognitive risk factors Neuropsychol Rev 22 229 251 2012 22569771 source

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    • cites [230] Shaw GA Giambra LM Task-unrelated thoughts of college- students diagnosed as hyperactive in childhood Dev Neuropsychol 9 17 30 1993 source

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    • cites [231] Smallwood J O’Connor RC Sudbery MV Obonsawin M Mind-wandering and dysphoria Cogn Emot 21 816 842 2007 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [146] Sonuga-barke EJS Castellanos FX Spontaneous attentional fluctuations in impaired states and pathological conditions: A neurobiological hypothesis Brain 31 977 986 2007 17445893

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [147] Whitfield-Gabrieli S Ford JM Default mode network activity and connectivity in psychopathology Annu Rev Clin Psychol 8 49 76 2012 22224834 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [148] Anticevic A The Role of Default Network Deactivation in Cognition and Disease Trends in Cognitive Sciences 1 9 2012 PMC3501603 23142417 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [232] Castellanos FX Proal E Large-scale brain systems in ADHD: beyond the prefrontal–striatal model Trends Cogn Sci 16 17 26 2011 22169776 PMC3272832 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [233] Fassbender C A lack of default network suppression is linked to increased distractibility in ADHD Brain Res 1273 114 128 2009 19281801 PMC4721585 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Some states of psychopathology result from compromised integrity of the default network, while others reflect a failure to regulate default network activity and self-generated thoughts to appropriate contexts or adaptive content.

    “Although some states of psychopathology result from compromised integrity of the DN, others reflect a failure to regulate DN activity and self-generated thoughts to contexts when its psychological functions are appropriate, or to content that is adaptive in nature.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S1 (asserted), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    Harnessing the beneficial aspects of self-generated thought and associated default network activity requires the ability to adaptively regulate the content of internal experience.

    “Our first hypothesis proposes that harnessing the beneficial aspects of self-generated thought and associated DN activity requires the ability to adaptively regulate the content underlying this internal experience.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Frontotemporal lobar degeneration more specifically affects the dorsal medial subsystem, anterior medial prefrontal cortex, and salience network, with degeneration extending from dorsal to ventral prefrontal regions and into lateral temporal cortex.

    “In contrast to AD, FTLD more specifically affects the dorsal medial subsystem, the amPFC, and the salience network, with degeneration extending from dorsal to ventral prefrontal regions and into the lateral temporal cortex.43,192”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [43] Irish M Piguet O Hodges JR Self-projection and the default network in frontotemporal dementia Nat Rev Neurol 8 152 161 2011 22331029 source

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    • cites [192] Seeley WW Crawford RK Zhou J Miller BL Greicius MD Neurodegenerative diseases target large-scale human brain networks Neuron 62 42 52 2009 19376066 PMC2691647 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    A final form of psychopathology could be a failure to regulate self-generated thought to a context when it does not interfere with ongoing tasks, referred to as the context regulation hypothesis.

    “A final form of psychopathology could, therefore, be a failure to regulate self-generated thought to a context when it does not interfere with ongoing tasks. We refer to this idea as the context regulation hypothesis of adaptive DN function.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The full extent of self-generated thought is unlikely to be attributable to a single network, and the brain regions involved may depend on both the content and the precise process of the experience.

    “Given its intricate nature, the full extent of self-generated thought is unlikely to be attributable to a single network of regions, and the brain regions involved in self-generated thought may critically depend upon both the content underlying the experience (see also Ref. 247) and the precise process by which the experience occurs.2”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [247] Preminger S Harmelech T Malach R Stimulus-free thoughts induce differential activation in the human default network NeuroImage 54 1692 702 2011 20728555 source

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    • cites [2] Smallwood J Distinguishing how from why the mind wanders: A process–occurrence framework for self-generated mental activity Psychol Bull 139 519 535 2013 23607430 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Spatially distinct default network regions such as the posterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex likely serve complementary rather than redundant functions, allowing complex phenomena such as autobiographical thought to emerge.

    “It seems unlikely that spatially distinct regions (such as the PCC or mPFC) support computations that are redundant with one another; rather, these different regions likely serve complementary functions that, in combination, allow more complex phenomena (such as autobiographical thought) to emerge.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
28 of 28

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Group differences in default network activity or connectivity observed in the reviewed studies are not explained by motion, respiration, or other confounds.

    “many studies do not assess whether group differences in motion, respiration, and other confounds can explain observed differences in activity or connectivity.185”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Default network alterations observed in mental health disorders and neurological diseases are causally linked to variations in default network function and to psychopathological symptoms.

    “we propose three different mechanisms that explain how psychopathological states can be linked to variations in the function of the DN.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Self-generated thought and default network activity have adaptive potential.

    “Although self-generated thought and DN activity has an adaptive potential, it does not necessarily follow that all attempts at self-generated thought improve cognitive functioning or psychological well-being.”
3 of 3

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • The default mode network serves as the neurophysiological basis for the self or ego because it is activated during self-referential thought.

    “DMN serves as the neurophysiological basis for the 'self' or 'ego' because of its activation when individuals engage in self-referential thought [45].”

    From Mindfulness meditation and psychedelics: potential synergies and commonalities (2023) · cites this paper as [45]

    In “The default network plays an active role in self-generated cognition” (page not available), the paper says the network is activated during tasks involving self-reflection and referencing information to oneself. “Default network subsystems support component processes of self-generated thought” also associates its core with self-related processes. Neither passage establishes that the network is the neurophysiological basis of the self or ego; that is stronger than the paper’s account. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Research shows the function of the DMN goes beyond resting state.

    “research shows its function to go beyond that”

    From SSRI Treatment Response Prediction in Depression Based on Brain Activation by Emotional Stimuli (2020) · cites this paper as [19]

  • Self-generated thoughts can benefit from goal-directed processing and cognitive control.

    “Although self-generated thoughts can occur spontaneously in mind, they also have been shown to benefit from goal-directed processing and cognitive control [5].”

    From Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics (2016) · cites this paper as [5]

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Default network activity is associated with spontaneous and self-generated thought, including mind-wandering, mental simulation, social cognition, autobiographical retrieval, and episodic future thinking.

    “Default network activity is associated with spontaneous and self-generated thought, including mind-wandering, mental simulation, social cognition, autobiographical retrieval, and episodic future thinking [5, 13–14].”

    From Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics (2016) · cites this paper as [5]

  • Processes involving default-control cooperation typically involve top-down modulation of self-generated information.

    “Such processes typically involve the top-down modulation of self-generated information [5].”

    From Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics (2016) · cites this paper as [5]

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

7 of the 260 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Saxe R., 2010, Handbook of Theory of Mind

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Andrews‐Hanna, J. R., Smallwood, J., & Spreng, R. N.
Affiliations
  • University of Colorado Boulder (US)
  • University of York (GB)
  • Cornell University (US)
Corresponding author
Andrews‐Hanna, Jessica R.
ORCID
Venue
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2014-02-06
Volume
1316
Issue
1
Pages
29-52
ISSN
  • 0077-8923 (ISSN-L)
  • 1749-6632
DOI
10.1111/nyas.12360
PMC
PMC4039623
OpenAlex
W2135176444
Cited by
2,102
References
260
Citations by year
2026: 196 · 2025: 204 · 2024: 168 · 2023: 182 · 2022: 220 · 2021: 252 · 2020: 226 · 2019: 172 · 2018: 157 · 2017: 144 · 2016: 96 · 2015: 62 · 2014: 21 · 2012: 1
FWCI
10.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institutes of Health (F32MH093985)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
Keywords
default mode network, self-generated thought, executive function, network dynamics, clinical relevance
MeSH terms
Brain, Cognition, Humans, Mental Processes, Models, Biological, Nerve Net, Thinking

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-04.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-04.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

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