Prediction of stimulus-independent and task-unrelated thought from functional brain networks

Neural substrates of mind wandering have been widely reported, yet experiments have varied in their contexts and their definitions of this psychological phenomenon, limiting generalizability. We aimed to develop and test the generalizability, specificity, and clinical relevance of a functional brain network-based marker for a well-defined feature of mind wandering-stimulus-independent, task-unrelated thought (SITUT). Combining functional MRI (fMRI) with online experience sampling in healthy adults, we defined a connectome-wide model of inter-regional coupling-dominated by default-frontoparietal control subnetwork interactions-that predicted trial-by-trial SITUT fluctuations within novel individuals. Model predictions generalized in an independent sample of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In three additional resting-state fMRI studies (total n=1115), including healthy individuals and individuals with ADHD, we demonstrated further prediction of SITUT (at modest effect sizes) defined using multiple trait-level and in-scanner measures. Our findings suggest that SITUT is represented within a common pattern of brain network interactions across time scales and contexts. People spend much of their daily lives thinking about things that are unrelated to their immediate environment. Using fMRI, Kucyi et al. show that occurrence of these stimulus-independent thoughts can be predicted from a complex pattern of coordinated activity between distinct parts of the brain.

Automated summary

This study developed a functional brain network-based marker for predicting mind wandering, specifically stimulus-independent, task-unrelated thought (SITUT), and demonstrated its generalizability and clinical relevance. The results showed that SITUT is represented by a common pattern of brain network interactions across different time scales and contexts. Using fMRI, the study revealed that occurrence of stimulus-independent thoughts can be predicted from coordinated activity between distinct brain regions.