The default mode network throughout the lifespan: A state-of-the-art scoping review on its development and association to individual cognitive functioning

The Default Mode Network (DMN), once seen merely as a “task-negative” network, is now recognized for its involvement in various cognitive functions, including higher-order executive behaviour. Its functional connectivity changes notably across the lifespan and closely reflects the development and decline of such abilities. Although interest in age-related DMN changes has grown, age-specific evaluation of the findings remains lacking. This review examines studies published between 2015 and 2025 using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that investigate DMN connectivity from infancy through older adulthood and its role in the emergence, and later deterioration, of cognitive functions. Literature searches were conducted on PubMed and Scopus (last search: 02/04/2025), including studies in English with no age restrictions. Out of the initial pool, 98 studies were selected, involving a total of 96,927 participants. We overall report that the DMN undergoes maturation during infancy and childhood, reaching full cohesion by early adulthood. This maturation process is accompanied by the emergence of anticorrelation patterns between the DMN and task-positive networks, patterns that are linked to the individual level of cognitive efficiency. At the two ends of the aging curve (childhood and older age), the segregation among functional communities appears, however, less distinct, and active recruitment of DMN regions during challenging task conditions might, sometimes, act as a compensatory mechanism. In middle to late adulthood, the DMN exhibits a decline especially in long-range connectivity. This decline is accompanied by a worsening of cognitive performance, often associated with neuropathological mechanisms common at this stage of life.