Resting state networks and psychiatric disorders
Sensorimotor network – processes sensory input simultaneously to help understand the physical
input and initiate a response. Helps evaluate senses, process physical stimuli, understand internal
senses, and produce a motor response. It includes the sensorimotor cortex and the somatosensory
responses. Responses to pain, temperature, pressure, as well as movement to prevent pain, and
understanding what we feel.
Salience network is composed of the anterior insula and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex.
Salience is a thing that stands out, which may help us process dangers. The insula is involved in
processing the sense of disgust to smells and to the sight of contamination or mutilation. It can be
associated with mirror neurons, where seeing someone express or disgust or even thinking about
something disgusting triggers a wincing response. It has connections to the orbitofrontal cortex,
possibly to make decisions surrounding what we see or sense. It helps calculate the risk of what is
before us. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex is involved in cognition and motor control. This region
may also pose links to the reward and motivation system. Appraisal of social contexts is also factored
into the salience network.
Default mode network relates to the region of the brain that is active when a person is not
responding to the outside world. It is activated when we are conscious, but not engaged in any sort
of mental activity. It may be involved in daydreaming and accessing memories. It is the opposite of
the task focused network, which is activated when we engage in a task. The DMN includes the
posterior cingulate cortex, the medial temporal lobe (epilepsy), and the medial prefrontal cortex.
These brain regions are associated with internal thought.
All these networks are resting state networks, in which the person is not partaking in any form of
activity or mental activity. Alterations in these systems can cause psychiatric disorders impacting
mood and cognition.
Serotonin projects from the raphe nucleus to different regions, including the ventral medial
prefrontal cortex, perigenual anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, dorsomedial thalamus,
ventral striatum. Dopamine projects via the nigrostriatal pathway, the tuberoinfundibular pathway,
the mesolimbic pathway, and the mesocortical pathway.
Alterations in neurotransmitter activity and resting state networks are associated with psychiatric
disorders.
Sensorimotor network – processes sensory input simultaneously to help understand the physical
input and initiate a response. Helps evaluate senses, process physical stimuli, understand internal
senses, and produce a motor response. It includes the sensorimotor cortex and the somatosensory
responses. Responses to pain, temperature, pressure, as well as movement to prevent pain, and
understanding what we feel.
Salience network is composed of the anterior insula and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex.
Salience is a thing that stands out, which may help us process dangers. The insula is involved in
processing the sense of disgust to smells and to the sight of contamination or mutilation. It can be
associated with mirror neurons, where seeing someone express or disgust or even thinking about
something disgusting triggers a wincing response. It has connections to the orbitofrontal cortex,
possibly to make decisions surrounding what we see or sense. It helps calculate the risk of what is
before us. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex is involved in cognition and motor control. This region
may also pose links to the reward and motivation system. Appraisal of social contexts is also factored
into the salience network.
Default mode network relates to the region of the brain that is active when a person is not
responding to the outside world. It is activated when we are conscious, but not engaged in any sort
of mental activity. It may be involved in daydreaming and accessing memories. It is the opposite of
the task focused network, which is activated when we engage in a task. The DMN includes the
posterior cingulate cortex, the medial temporal lobe (epilepsy), and the medial prefrontal cortex.
These brain regions are associated with internal thought.
All these networks are resting state networks, in which the person is not partaking in any form of
activity or mental activity. Alterations in these systems can cause psychiatric disorders impacting
mood and cognition.
Serotonin projects from the raphe nucleus to different regions, including the ventral medial
prefrontal cortex, perigenual anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, dorsomedial thalamus,
ventral striatum. Dopamine projects via the nigrostriatal pathway, the tuberoinfundibular pathway,
the mesolimbic pathway, and the mesocortical pathway.
Alterations in neurotransmitter activity and resting state networks are associated with psychiatric
disorders.
