offline memory reprocessing involvement of the brains default network in spontaneous thought processes离线记忆后处理大脑的默认网络参与自发的思维过程.pdfVIP

Offline Memory Reprocessing: Involvement of the Brain’s Default Network in Spontaneous Thought Processes 1 2 1 2 2 3 1 Kun Wang , Chunshui Yu , Lijuan Xu , Wen Qin , Kuncheng Li , Lin Xu , Tianzi Jiang * 1 National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 2 Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 3 Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, People’s Republic of China Abstract Background: Spontaneous thought processes (STPs), also called daydreaming or mind-wandering, occur ubiquitously in daily life. However, the functional significance of STPs remains largely unknown. Methodology/Principal Finding: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we first identified an STPs-network whose activity was positively correlated with the subjects’ tendency of having STPs during a task-free state. The STPs- network was then found to be strongly associated with the default network, which has previously been established as being active during the task-free state. Interestingly, we found that offline reprocessing of previously memorized information further increased the activity of the STPs-network regions, although during a state with less STPs. In addition, we found that the STPs-network kept a dynamic balance between functional integration and functional separation among its component regions to execute offline memory reprocessing in STPs. Conclusion/Significance: These findings strengthen a view that offline memory reprocessing and STPs share the brain’s default network, and thus implicate that offli