Prediction of stimulus-independent and task-unrelated thought from functional brain networks

Aaron Kucyi, Michael Esterman, James Capella, Allison Green, Mai Uchida, Joseph Biederman, John D.E. Gabrieli, Eve M. Valera, Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

Neural substrates of “mind wandering” have been widely reported, yet experiments have varied in their contexts and their definitions of this psychological phenomenon, limiting generalizability. We aimed to develop and test the generalizability, specificity, and clinical relevance of a functional brain network-based marker for a well-defined feature of mind wandering—stimulus-independent, task-unrelated thought (SITUT). Combining functional MRI (fMRI) with online experience sampling in healthy adults, we defined a connectome-wide model of inter-regional coupling—dominated by default-frontoparietal control subnetwork interactions—that predicted trial-by-trial SITUT fluctuations within novel individuals. Model predictions generalized in an independent sample of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In three additional resting-state fMRI studies (total n = 1115), including healthy individuals and individuals with ADHD, we demonstrated further prediction of SITUT (at modest effect sizes) defined using multiple trait-level and in-scanner measures. Our findings suggest that SITUT is represented within a common pattern of brain network interactions across time scales and contexts.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1793
JournalNature Communications
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Dec 2021
Externally publishedYes

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