Default network

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The default network of the brain is active when an individual is not focused on the outside world. It is an interconnected and anatomically defined brain system that preferentially activates when individuals focus on internal tasks such as envisioning the future, retrieving memories, and gauging others' perspectives. It is negatively correlated with brain systems that focus on external visual signals; in humans, it has been hypothesized to generate spontanous thoughts during mind-wandering. Its subsystems include part of the medial temporal lobe for memory, part of the medial prefrontal cortex for mental simulations, and the posterior cingulate cortex for integration. It has been hypothesized to be relevant to mental disorders including Alzheimer's disease, autism, and schizophrenia.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Buckner RL, Andrews-Hanna JR, Schacter DL (2008). "The brain's default network: anatomy, function, and relevance to disease". Ann N Y Acad Sci 1124: 1–38. doi:10.1196/annals.1440.011. PMID 18400922. 
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