title: When the brain takes a break: a model-based analysis of mind wandering.
abstract: Mind wandering is an ubiquitous phenomenon in everyday life. In the cognitive neurosciences, mind wandering has been associated with several distinct neural processes, most notably increased activity in the default mode network (DMN), suppressed activity within the anti-correlated (task-positive) network (ACN), and changes in neuromodulation. By using an integrative multimodal approach combining machine-learning techniques with modeling of latent cognitive processes, we show that mind wandering in humans is characterized by inefficiencies in executive control (task-monitoring) processes. This failure is predicted by a single-trial signature of (co)activations in the DMN, ACN, and neuromodulation, and accompanied by a decreased rate of evidence accumulation and response thresholds in the cognitive model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø, Norway, matthias.mittner@uit.no.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0205-7353
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mittner
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam, 1018 VZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wouter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Boekel
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam, 1018 VZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Adrienne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.affiliation: Stanford University Center for Mind, Brain and Computation, Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305.
authors.forename: Brandon M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Newcastle Cognition Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, 2308 Newcastle, Australia, and.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heathcote
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam, 1018 VZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Birte U
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Forstmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D011680:Pupil / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: MVPA; cognitive modeling; fMRI; mind wandering; model-based neuroscience; resting state