Literature Review

The Default Mode Network Plays Important Role in Pathology of Epilepsy

Detecting changes in the DMN may facilitate early detection and treatment efficacy.


 

The default mode network (DMN), which connects brain regions such as precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, and medial, lateral, and inferior parietal cortex, plays an important role in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), according to a recent literature review. Among patients with TLE, the amplitude of the blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signal decreases during the interval between seizures. Investigators have also found that TLE patients have less anterograde connectivity from the anterior to the posterior DMN. Changes in the activity of the DMN in people with epilepsy, as well as several other neurological disorders, suggest that assessment of the network may help improve early detection and treatment, according to the researchers.

Mohan A, Roberto AJ, Mohan A, et al. The significance of the default mode network (DMN) in neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders: A review. Yale J Biol Med. 2016;89(1):49-57.

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