PNAS Peer Review Sign up for PNAS Online eTocs
Link: Info for AuthorsLink: Editorial BoardLink: AboutLink: SubscribeLink: AdvertiseLink: ContactLink: Sitemap Link: PNAS Home
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Link: Current Issue "" Link: Archives "" Link: Online Submission ""  Link: Advanced Search

Published online on March 20, 2001, 10.1073/pnas.071043098

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a colleague
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gusnard, D. A.
Right arrow Articles by Raichle, M. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Gusnard, D. A.
Right arrow Articles by Raichle, M. E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg  
What's this?

Psychology
 Medial prefrontal cortex and self-referential mental activity: Relation to a default mode of brain function

Debra A. Gusnard*,dagger ,Dagger , Erbil Akbudak*, Gordon L. Shulman§, and Marcus E. Raichle*,§,

* Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology and Departments of dagger  Psychiatry, § Neurology, and  Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110

Contributed by Marcus E. Raichle, January 26, 2001

Medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is among those brain regions having the highest baseline metabolic activity at rest and one that exhibits decreases from this baseline across a wide variety of goal-directed behaviors in functional imaging studies. This high metabolic rate and this behavior suggest the existence of an organized mode of default brain function, elements of which may be either attenuated or enhanced. Extant data suggest that these MPFC regions may contribute to the neural instantiation of aspects of the multifaceted "self." We explore this important concept by targeting and manipulating elements of MPFC default state activity. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, subjects made two judgments, one self-referential, the other not, in response to affectively normed pictures: pleasant vs. unpleasant (an internally cued condition, ICC) and indoors vs. outdoors (an externally cued condition, ECC). The ICC was preferentially associated with activity increases along the dorsal MPFC. These increases were accompanied by decreases in both active task conditions in ventral MPFC. These results support the view that dorsal and ventral MPFC are differentially influenced by attentiondemanding tasks and explicitly self-referential tasks. The presence of self-referential mental activity appears to be associated with increases from the baseline in dorsal MPFC. Reductions in ventral MPFC occurred consistent with the fact that attention-demanding tasks attenuate emotional processing. We posit that both self-referential mental activity and emotional processing represent elements of the default state as represented by activity in MPFC. We suggest that a useful way to explore the neurobiology of the self is to explore the nature of default state activity.

Dagger To whom reprint requests should be addressed at: Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 4525 Scott Avenue, Room 2115, St. Louis, MO 63110. E-mail: gusnard{at}npg.wustl.edu.

www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.071043098
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles in HighWire Press-hosted journals:


Home page
 J. Cogn. Neurosci.Home page
J. Cloutier, T. F. Heatherton, P. J. Whalen, and W. M. Kelley
Are attractive people rewarding? Sex differences in the neural substrates of facial attractiveness.
J. Cogn. Neurosci., June 1, 2008; 20(6): 941 - 951.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cereb CortexHome page
S. W. Davis, N. A. Dennis, S. M. Daselaar, M. S. Fleck, and R. Cabeza
Que PASA? The Posterior-Anterior Shift in Aging
Cereb Cortex, May 1, 2008; 18(5): 1201 - 1209.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Soc Cogn Affect NeurosciHome page
D. P. Kennedy and E. Courchesne
Functional abnormalities of the default network during self- and other-reflection in autism
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, April 28, 2008; (2008) nsn011v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Schizophr BullHome page
A. Fornito, M. Yucel, B. Dean, S. J. Wood, and C. Pantelis
Anatomical Abnormalities of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Schizophrenia: Bridging the Gap Between Neuroimaging and Neuropathology
Schizophr Bull, April 23, 2008; (2008) sbn025v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
D. A. Fair, A. L. Cohen, N. U. F. Dosenbach, J. A. Church, F. M. Miezin, D. M. Barch, M. E. Raichle, S. E. Petersen, and B. L. Schlaggar
The maturing architecture of the brain's default network
PNAS, March 11, 2008; 105(10): 4028 - 4032.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cereb CortexHome page
S. Vinogradov, T. L. Luks, B. J. Schulman, and G. V. Simpson
Deficit in a Neural Correlate of Reality Monitoring in Schizophrenia Patients
Cereb Cortex, March 6, 2008; (2008) bhn028v2.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci.Home page
R. L. BUCKNER, J. R. ANDREWS-HANNA, and D. L. SCHACTER
The Brain's Default Network: Anatomy, Function, and Relevance to Disease
Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., March 1, 2008; 1124(1): 1 - 38.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cereb CortexHome page
K. Velanova, M. E. Wheeler, and B. Luna
Maturational Changes in Anterior Cingulate and Frontoparietal Recruitment Support the Development of Error Processing and Inhibitory Control
Cereb Cortex, February 14, 2008; (2008) bhn012v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Gen PsychiatryHome page
A. J. Holmes and D. A. Pizzagalli
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Error Processing Dysfunctions in Major Depressive Disorder
Arch Gen Psychiatry, February 1, 2008; 65(2): 179 - 188.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychosom. Med.Home page
R. D. Lane
Neural Substrates of Implicit and Explicit Emotional Processes: A Unifying Framework for Psychosomatic Medicine
Psychosom Med, February 1, 2008; 70(2): 214 - 231.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cereb CortexHome page
S. M. Daselaar, H. J. Rice, D. L. Greenberg, R. Cabeza, K. S. LaBar, and D. C. Rubin
The Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Autobiographical Memory: Neural Correlates of Recall, Emotional Intensity, and Reliving
Cereb Cortex, January 1, 2008; 18(1): 217 - 229.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cereb CortexHome page
J. Geday, R. Kupers, and A. Gjedde
As Time Goes By: Temporal Constraints on Emotional Activation of Inferior Medial Prefrontal Cortex
Cereb Cortex, December 1, 2007; 17(12): 2753 - 2759.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cereb CortexHome page
G. L. Shulman, S. V. Astafiev, M. P. McAvoy, G. d'Avossa, and M. Corbetta
Right TPJ Deactivation during Visual Search: Functional Significance and Support for a Filter Hypothesis
Cereb Cortex, November 1, 2007; 17(11): 2625 - 2633.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
M. Awad, J. E. Warren, S. K. Scott, F. E. Turkheimer, and R. J. S. Wise
A Common System for the Comprehension and Production of Narrative Speech
J. Neurosci., October 24, 2007; 27(43): 11455 - 11464.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Gen PsychiatryHome page
S. C. Johnson, M. L. Ries, T. M. Hess, C. M. Carlsson, C. E. Gleason, A. L. Alexander, H. A. Rowley, S. Asthana, and M. A. Sager
Effect of Alzheimer Disease Risk on Brain Function During Self-appraisal in Healthy Middle-aged Adults
Arch Gen Psychiatry, October 1, 2007; 64(10): 1163 - 1171.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 RadiologyHome page
J. R. Petrella, L. Wang, S. Krishnan, M. J. Slavin, S. E. Prince, T.-T. T. Tran, and P. M. Doraiswamy
Cortical Deactivation in Mild Cognitive Impairment: High-Field-Strength Functional MR Imaging
Radiology, October 1, 2007; 245(1): 224 - 235.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
P. Fransson, B. Skiold, S. Horsch, A. Nordell, M. Blennow, H. Lagercrantz, and U. Aden
Resting-state networks in the infant brain
PNAS, September 25, 2007; 104(39): 15531 - 15536.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurophysiol.Home page
D. Sabatinelli, M. M. Bradley, P. J. Lang, V. D. Costa, and F. Versace
Pleasure Rather Than Salience Activates Human Nucleus Accumbens and Medial Prefrontal Cortex
J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2007; 98(3): 1374 - 1379.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
T. Johnstone, C. M. van Reekum, H. L. Urry, N. H. Kalin, and R. J. Davidson
Failure to Regulate: Counterproductive Recruitment of Top-Down Prefrontal-Subcortical Circuitry in Major Depression
J. Neurosci., August 15, 2007; 27(33): 8877 - 8884.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
D. Mantini, M. G. Perrucci, C. Del Gratta, G. L. Romani, and M. Corbetta
Electrophysiological signatures of resting state networks in the human brain
PNAS, August 7, 2007; 104(32): 13170 - 13175.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Cogn. Neurosci.Home page
J. H. Pfeifer, M. D. Lieberman, and M. Dapretto
"I know you are but what am I?!": neural bases of self- and social knowledge retrieval in children and adults.
J. Cogn. Neurosci., August 1, 2007; 19(8): 1323 - 1337.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Cogn. Neurosci.Home page
M. Schulte-Ruther, H. J. Markowitsch, G. R. Fink, and M. Piefke
Mirror Neuron and Theory of Mind Mechanisms Involved in Face-to-Face Interactions: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Approach to Empathy.
J. Cogn. Neurosci., August 1, 2007; 19(8): 1354 - 1372.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Soc Cogn Affect NeurosciHome page
S. J. Banks, K. T. Eddy, M. Angstadt, P. J. Nathan, and K. L. Phan
Amygdala frontal connectivity during emotion regulation
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, July 21, 2007; (2007) nsm029v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ScienceHome page
S. J. Gilbert, I. Dumontheil, J. S. Simons, C. D. Frith, and P. W. Burgess
Comment on "Wandering Minds: The Default Network and Stimulus-Independent Thought"
Science, July 6, 2007; 317(5834): 43b - 43b.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
J. A. Brefczynski-Lewis, A. Lutz, H. S. Schaefer, D. B. Levinson, and R. J. Davidson
Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners
PNAS, July 3, 2007; 104(27): 11483 - 11488.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
R. A. Epstein, W. E. Parker, and A. M. Feiler
Where Am I Now? Distinct Roles for Parahippocampal and Retrosplenial Cortices in Place Recognition
J. Neurosci., June 6, 2007; 27(23): 6141 - 6149.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Soc Cogn Affect NeurosciHome page
E. Ciaramelli, M. Muccioli, E. Ladavas, and G. di Pellegrino
Selective deficit in personal moral judgment following damage to ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2007; 2(2): 84 - 92.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. PsychiatryHome page
R. Marsh, H. Zhu, Z. Wang, P. Skudlarski, and B. S. Peterson
A Developmental fMRI Study of Self-Regulatory Control in Tourette's Syndrome
Am J Psychiatry, June 1, 2007; 164(6): 955 - 966.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Cogn. Neurosci.Home page
A. D'Argembeau, P. Ruby, F. Collette, C. Degueldre, E. Balteau, A. Luxen, P. Maquet, and E. Salmon
Distinct regions of the medial prefrontal cortex are associated with self-referential processing and perspective taking.
J. Cogn. Neurosci., June 1, 2007; 19(6): 935 - 944.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Cogn. Neurosci.Home page
J. Persson, C. Lustig, J. K. Nelson, and P. A. Reuter-Lorenz
Age differences in deactivation: a link to cognitive control?
J. Cogn. Neurosci., June 1, 2007; 19(6): 1021 - 1032.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cereb CortexHome page
D. Papo, A. Douiri, F. Bouchet, J.-C. Bourzeix, J.-P. Caverni, and P.-M. Baudonniere
Time-Frequency Intracranial Source Localization of Feedback-Related EEG Activity in Hypothesis Testing
Cereb Cortex, June 1, 2007; 17(6): 1314 - 1322.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Soc Cogn Affect NeurosciHome page
S. J. Gilbert, I. D. M. Williamson, I. Dumontheil, J. S. Simons, C. D. Frith, and P. W. Burgess
Distinct regions of medial rostral prefrontal cortex supporting social and nonsocial functions
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, May 27, 2007; (2007) nsm014v2.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
R. Zahn, J. Moll, F. Krueger, E. D. Huey, G. Garrido, and J. Grafman
Social concepts are represented in the superior anterior temporal cortex
PNAS, April 10, 2007; 104(15): 6430 - 6435.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
B. Hahn, T. J. Ross, Y. Yang, I. Kim, M. A. Huestis, and E. A. Stein
Nicotine Enhances Visuospatial Attention by Deactivating Areas of the Resting Brain Default Network
J. Neurosci., March 28, 2007; 27(13): 3477 - 3489.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. PsychiatryHome page
A. G. Garrity, G. D. Pearlson, K. McKiernan, D. Lloyd, K. A. Kiehl, and V. D. Calhoun
Aberrant "Default Mode" Functional Connectivity in Schizophrenia
Am J Psychiatry, March 1, 2007; 164(3): 450 - 457.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cereb CortexHome page
P. Lewis, H. Critchley, P Rotshtein, and R. Dolan
Neural Correlates of Processing Valence and Arousal in Affective Words
Cereb Cortex, March 1, 2007; 17(3): 742 - 748.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ScienceHome page
M. F. Mason, M. I. Norton, J. D. Van Horn, D. M. Wegner, S. T. Grafton, and C. N. Macrae
Wandering Minds: The Default Network and Stimulus-Independent Thought
Science, January 19, 2007; 315(5810): 393 - 395.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
K. K. Szpunar, J. M. Watson, and K. B. McDermott
Neural substrates of envisioning the future
PNAS, January 9, 2007; 104(2): 642 - 647.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurophysiol.Home page
J. L. Vincent, A. Z. Snyder, M. D. Fox, B. J. Shannon, J. R. Andrews, M. E. Raichle, and R. L. Buckner
Coherent Spontaneous Activity Identifies a Hippocampal-Parietal Memory Network
J Neurophysiol, December 1, 2006; 96(6): 3517 - 3531.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
M. N. Baliki, D. R. Chialvo, P. Y. Geha, R. M. Levy, R. N. Harden, T. B. Parrish, and A. V. Apkarian
Chronic Pain and the Emotional Brain: Specific Brain Activity Associated with Spontaneous Fluctuations of Intensity of Chronic Back Pain.
J. Neurosci., November 22, 2006; 26(47): 12165 - 12173.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Cogn. Neurosci.Home page
K. G. Volz, L. J. Schooler, R. I. Schubotz, M. Raab, G. Gigerenzer, and D. Y. von Cramon
Why You Think Milan is Larger than Modena: Neural Correlates of the Recognition Heuristic.
J. Cogn. Neurosci., November 1, 2006; 18(11): 1924 - 1936.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
A. Schaefer, T. S. Braver, J. R. Reynolds, G. C. Burgess, T. Yarkoni, and J. R. Gray
Individual Differences in Amygdala Activity Predict Response Speed during Working Memory
J. Neurosci., October 4, 2006; 26(40): 10120 - 10128.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. PsychiatryHome page
J. Epstein, H. Pan, J. H. Kocsis, Y. Yang, T. Butler, J. Chusid, H. Hochberg, J. Murrough, E. Strohmayer, E. Stern, et al.
Lack of Ventral Striatal Response to Positive Stimuli in Depressed Versus Normal Subjects
Am J Psychiatry, October 1, 2006; 163(10): 1784 - 1790.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
J. S. Damoiseaux, S. A. R. B. Rombouts, F. Barkhof, P. Scheltens, C. J. Stam, S. M. Smith, and C. F. Beckmann
Consistent resting-state networks across healthy subjects
PNAS, September 12, 2006; 103(37): 13848 - 13853.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Cogn. Neurosci.Home page
J. M. Moran, C. N. Macrae, T. F. Heatherton, C. L. Wyland, and W. M. Kelley
Neuroanatomical evidence for distinct cognitive and affective components of self.
J. Cogn. Neurosci., September 1, 2006; 18(9): 1586 - 1594.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cereb CortexHome page
E. A. Kensinger and D. L. Schacter
Neural Processes Underlying Memory Attribution on a Reality-monitoring Task
Cereb Cortex, August 1, 2006; 16(8): 1126 - 1133.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Soc Cogn Affect NeurosciHome page
D. M. Amodio, J. T. Kubota, E. Harmon-Jones, and P. G. Devine
Alternative mechanisms for regulating racial responses according to internal vs external cues
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2006; 1(1): 26 - 36.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Soc Cogn Affect NeurosciHome page
M. K. Johnson, C. L. Raye, K. J. Mitchell, S. R. Touryan, E. J. Greene, and S. Nolen-Hoeksema
Dissociating medial frontal and posterior cingulate activity during self-reflection
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2006; 1(1): 56 - 64.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Cogn. Neurosci.Home page
N. David, B. H. Bewernick, M. X Cohen, A. Newen, S. Lux, G. R. Fink, N. J. Shah, and K. Vogeley
Neural Representations of Self versus Other: Visual-Spatial Perspective Taking and Agency in a Virtual Ball-tossing Game.
J. Cogn. Neurosci., June 1, 2006; 18(6): 898 - 910.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Cogn. Neurosci.Home page
S. J. Gilbert, S. Spengler, J. S. Simons, J. D. Steele, S. M. Lawrie, C. D. Frith, and P. W. Burgess
Functional Specialization within Rostral Prefrontal Cortex (Area 10): A Meta-analysis.
J. Cogn. Neurosci., June 1, 2006; 18(6): 932 - 948.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Soc Cogn Affect NeurosciHome page
J. P. Mitchell, J. Cloutier, M. R. Banaji, and C. N. Macrae
Medial prefrontal dissociations during processing of trait diagnostic and nondiagnostic person information
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2006; 1(1): 49 - 55.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
D. P. Kennedy, E. Redcay, and E. Courchesne
Failing to deactivate: Resting functional abnormalities in autism
PNAS, May 23, 2006; 103(21): 8275 - 8280.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BrainHome page
A. L. W. Bokde, P. Lopez-Bayo, T. Meindl, S. Pechler, C. Born, F. Faltraco, S. J. Teipel, H.-J. Moller, and H. Hampel
Functional connectivity of the fusiform gyrus during a face-matching task in subjects with mild cognitive impairment
Brain, May 1, 2006; 129(5): 1113 - 1124.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BrainHome page
A. Nicotra, H. D. Critchley, C. J. Mathias, and R. J. Dolan
Emotional and autonomic consequences of spinal cord injury explored using functional brain imaging
Brain, March 1, 2006; 129(3): 718 - 728.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BrainHome page
A. E. Cavanna and M. R. Trimble
The precuneus: a review of its functional anatomy and behavioural correlates
Brain, March 1, 2006; 129(3): 564 - 583.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]