Anticorrelation between default and dorsal attention networks varies across default subsystems and cognitive states

Abstract

Anticorrelation between the default network (DN) and dorsal attention network (DAN) is thought to be an intrinsic aspect of functional brain organization reflecting competing functions. However, the stability of anticorrelations across distinct DN subsystems, different contexts, and time, remains unexplored. Here we examine DN-DAN functional connectivity across six different cognitive states. We show that:(i) the DAN is anticorrelated with the DN core subsystem, but not with the two DN subsystems involved in mentalizing and mnemonic functions, respectively; (ii) DN-DAN interactions vary significantly across cognitive states; (iii) DN-DAN connectivity fluctuates across time between periods of anticorrelation and periods of positive correlation; and (iv) coupling between the frontoparietal control network (FPCN) and DAN predicts variation in the strength of DN-DAN anticorrelation across time. These findings reveal substantial variability in DN-DAN interactions, suggesting that these networks are not strictly competitive, and that the FPCN may act to modulate their anticorrelation strength.