Recruitment of the default mode network during a demanding act of executive control
eLife April 13, 2015 Ben M Crittenden, Daniel J Mitchell, John Duncan 202 citations
The default mode network, typically linked to internally-directed thoughts like mind wandering, shows reduced activity during many cognitive tasks. However, this network can become more active during a large and demanding switch in task set. Using multivoxel pattern analysis, the authors found that regions within the default mode network encode task-relevant information during task performance. Activity in this network may be driven by major revisions of cognitive context, whether internally or externally focused.