1.
Rat brains also have a default mode network.
Lu H, Zou Q, Gu H, Raichle ME, Stein EA, Yang Y.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Feb 21. [Epub ahead of print]
Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Programs, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) in humans has been suggested to support a variety of cognitive functions and has been implicated in an array of neuropsychological disorders. However, its function(s) remains poorly understood. We show that rats possess a DMN that is broadly similar to the DMNs of nonhuman primates and humans. Our data suggest that, despite the distinct evolutionary paths between rodent and primate brain, a well-organized, intrinsically coherent DMN appears to be a fundamental feature in the mammalian brain whose primary functions might be to integrate multimodal sensory and affective information to guide behavior in anticipation of changing environmental contingencies.
2.
Spontaneous neural activity predicts individual differences in performance.
Martin A, Barnes KA, Stevens WD.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Feb 16. [Epub ahead of print]