Neural antagonistic mechanism between default-mode and task-positive networks

Abstract The mechanisms of task-positive and task-negative activations are basic elements for exploring cognitive functions, impairment of which would trigger degenerative neurological diseases. Our research group combined the default mode network (DMN) with the working memory model, chosen as the task positive network (TPN), to carry out computational simulation under various stimulus conditions. The paper has demonstrated the following results: 1) task-positive (TPN) and task-negative networks (TNN) represented antagonistic neural activities; 2) the degree of attenuation in TNN was enhanced with increasing stimulus directions on the working memory; 3) neural activities in TNN decreased as long as that in working memory-related brain regions increase; 4) the more difficult the working memory task was, the more rapidly neural activities in TNN attenuated. Since the task-negative activation was the main characteristic of DMN, mutual inhibition between DMN and TPN was the key of the antagonism between the two networks with different properties.