title: Task-induced deactivation from rest extends beyond the default mode brain network.
abstract: Activity decreases, or deactivations, of midline and parietal cortical brain regions are routinely observed in human functional neuroimaging studies that compare periods of task-based cognitive performance with passive states, such as rest. It is now widely held that such task-induced deactivations index a highly organized 'default-mode network' (DMN): a large-scale brain system whose discovery has had broad implications in the study of human brain function and behavior. In this work, we show that common task-induced deactivations from rest also occur outside of the DMN as a function of increased task demand. Fifty healthy adult subjects performed two distinct functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks that were designed to reliably map deactivations from a resting baseline. As primary findings, increases in task demand consistently modulated the regional anatomy of DMN deactivation. At high levels of task demand, robust deactivation was observed in non-DMN regions, most notably, the posterior insular cortex. Deactivation of this region was directly implicated in a performance-based analysis of experienced task difficulty. Together, these findings suggest that task-induced deactivations from rest are not limited to the DMN and extend to brain regions typically associated with integrative sensory and interoceptive processes.
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Alta Tecnologia-PRBB, CRC Mar, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. habj@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Ben J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.forename: Oren
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Contreras-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soriano-Mas
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Solà
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deus
authors.forename: Hector
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blanco-Hinojo
authors.forename: Pino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ribas
authors.forename: Narcís
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cardoner
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Menchón
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult