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1: Science. 2007 Jan 19;315(5810):393-5.Click here to read Click here to read Links
Comment in:
Science. 2007 Jul 6;317(5834):43; author reply 43.

Wandering minds: the default network and stimulus-independent thought.

Mason MF, Norton MI, Van Horn JD, Wegner DM, Grafton ST, Macrae CN.

Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. malia@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu

Despite evidence pointing to a ubiquitous tendency of human minds to wander, little is known about the neural operations that support this core component of human cognition. Using both thought sampling and brain imaging, the current investigation demonstrated that mind-wandering is associated with activity in a default network of cortical regions that are active when the brain is "at rest." In addition, individuals' reports of the tendency of their minds to wander were correlated with activity in this network.

PMID: 17234951 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC1821121