ERIC Number: EJ913155
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Mar
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0278-2626
EISSN: N/A
Persistent Operational Synchrony within Brain Default-Mode Network and Self-Processing Operations in Healthy Subjects
Fingelkurts, Andrew A.; Fingelkurts, Alexander A.
Brain and Cognition, v75 n2 p79-90 Mar 2011
Based on the theoretical analysis of self-consciousness concepts, we hypothesized that the spatio-temporal pattern of functional connectivity within the default-mode network (DMN) should persist unchanged across a variety of different cognitive tasks or acts, thus being task-unrelated. This supposition is in contrast with current understanding that DMN activated when the subjects are resting and deactivated during any attention-demanding cognitive tasks. To test our proposal, we used, in retrospect, the results from our two early studies (Fingelkurts, 1998; Fingelkurts et al., 2003). In both studies for the majority of experimental trails we indeed found a constellation of operationally synchronized cortical areas (indexed as DMN) that was persistent across all studied experimental conditions in all subjects. Furthermore, we found three major elements comprising this DMN: two symmetrical occipito-parieto-temporal and one frontal spatio-temporal patterns. This new data directly supports the notion that DMN has a specific functional connotation--it provides neurophysiologic basis for self-processing operations, namely first-person perspective taking and an experience of agency. (Contains 7 figures.)
Descriptors: Perspective Taking, Cognitive Processes, Brain, Comparative Analysis, Task Analysis, Spatial Ability, Behavior Patterns, Evaluation Methods, Neurology, Physiology, Science Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A