Brain Networks Quiz: Default Mode, Salience & More
Updated
The default mode network is active during rest and self-referential thought; the salience network detects important stimuli and toggles between the default mode and central executive networks, which handle focused, goal-directed cognition.
This quiz covers the brain's large-scale functional networks: the default mode, salience, central executive, and dorsal and ventral attention networks. It is designed for neuroscience students who want to test their understanding of these networks' hubs and functions.
Before starting, remember that these networks are not anatomically isolated but are sets of brain regions that show correlated activity. The default mode and central executive networks often work in opposition, while the salience network helps switch between them.
The questions
Which brain network is most active when you are daydreaming or letting your mind wander?
Which region is a core hub of the default mode network?
What is the primary function of the salience network?
Which two regions are key hubs of the salience network?
Which network is engaged during cognitively demanding tasks like solving math problems or holding information in working memory?
Which region is a key node of the central executive network?
What is the main role of the dorsal attention network?
Which region is a core hub of the dorsal attention network?
What is the function of the ventral attention network?
Which region is part of the ventral attention network?
How do the default mode and central executive networks typically interact?
Which network is thought to play a key role in switching between the default mode and central executive networks?
Damage to which network is most commonly associated with hemispatial neglect?
Which default mode network region is especially important for autobiographical memory retrieval?
In resting-state fMRI, which network shows high temporal coherence among its regions even when no task is performed?
0 of 15 answered · 0 correct
Cheat sheet: key terms
| Default Mode Network (DMN) | Active at rest; involved in self-referential thought, mind-wandering, and autobiographical memory. Hubs include posterior cingulate and angular gyrus. |
|---|---|
| Salience Network | Detects behaviorally relevant stimuli and coordinates switching between the DMN and central executive network. Hubs: anterior insula and anterior cingulate. |
| Central Executive Network (CEN) | Engaged during cognitively demanding tasks; supports working memory, decision-making, and top-down control. Hubs: dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex. |
| Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) | Directs attention to relevant locations or features based on current goals; top-down control. Hubs: frontal eye fields and intraparietal sulcus. |
| Ventral Attention Network (VAN) | Detects unexpected, salient stimuli and reorients attention; bottom-up capture. Hubs: temporoparietal junction and ventral frontal cortex. |
| Posterior Cingulate Cortex | Key hub of the default mode network; involved in self-referential processing and memory retrieval. |
| Insula | Core hub of the salience network; processes interoceptive signals and emotional salience. |
| Anticorrelation | DMN activity decreases when CEN activity increases, and vice versa; important for efficient switching between internal and external focus. |
Answers explained
Show all 15 answers
- Which brain network is most active when you are daydreaming or letting your mind wander? Default mode network. The default mode network is active during rest and internally focused tasks like daydreaming and mind-wandering.
- Which region is a core hub of the default mode network? Posterior cingulate cortex. The posterior cingulate cortex is a central node of the default mode network, involved in self-referential thought and memory.
- What is the primary function of the salience network? To detect behaviorally relevant stimuli and switch between networks. The salience network monitors internal and external cues to identify important events and then recruits the appropriate network (e.g., DMN or CEN).
- Which two regions are key hubs of the salience network? Anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex. The anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex are consistently identified as core nodes of the salience network.
- Which network is engaged during cognitively demanding tasks like solving math problems or holding information in working memory? Central executive network. The central executive network (also called frontoparietal network) is activated by tasks requiring sustained attention, working memory, and decision-making.
- Which region is a key node of the central executive network? Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is a central hub of the central executive network, supporting working memory and cognitive control.
- What is the main role of the dorsal attention network? Top-down, goal-directed attention. The dorsal attention network controls voluntary allocation of attention based on current task goals, such as searching for a specific object.
- Which region is a core hub of the dorsal attention network? Frontal eye fields. The frontal eye fields are key nodes in the dorsal attention network, involved in planning eye movements and directing spatial attention.
- What is the function of the ventral attention network? Detect salient, unexpected stimuli and reorient attention. The ventral attention network is responsible for bottom-up attention capture by behaviorally relevant stimuli, especially when they appear outside the current focus.
- Which region is part of the ventral attention network? Angular gyrus (temporoparietal junction). The angular gyrus, part of the temporoparietal junction, is a key node of the ventral attention network, important for detecting unexpected events.
- How do the default mode and central executive networks typically interact? They are anticorrelated: when one is active, the other is suppressed. Resting-state and task-based studies show that the default mode and central executive networks are typically anticorrelated, supporting a balance between internal and external focus.
- Which network is thought to play a key role in switching between the default mode and central executive networks? Salience network. The salience network, particularly the anterior insula, detects salient events and initiates a switch by modulating the activity of the DMN and CEN.
- Damage to which network is most commonly associated with hemispatial neglect? Ventral attention network. Hemispatial neglect often results from lesions to the right temporoparietal junction, a key node of the ventral attention network, impairing detection of stimuli on the left side.
- Which default mode network region is especially important for autobiographical memory retrieval? Posterior cingulate cortex. The posterior cingulate cortex shows increased activity during autobiographical memory recall and is considered a hub for self-referential processing.
- In resting-state fMRI, which network shows high temporal coherence among its regions even when no task is performed? Default mode network. The default mode network is characterized by strong functional connectivity at rest, reflecting its role in ongoing internal mentation.
See it in 3D: open the interactive brain and click any region, or ask the AI coach anything you missed.