The default mode network is more strongly engaged by verbal than by visual recollection: A neuroimaging meta-analysis

Description: Functional neuroimaging studies consistently show that episodic recollection engages the default mode network (DMN), but whether this engagement depends on retrieved content remains unclear. A coordinate-based Activation Likelihood Estimation meta-analysis tested the hypothesis that the DMN is more strongly engaged during verbal than visual recollection, motivated by the DMN’s overlap with language-related cortex and its position along a cortical gradient favoring amodal, conceptual representations. Forty-three subjective-recollection studies were included (verbal: k = 24; visual: k = 19), and network correspondence was quantified by overlaying thresholded maps onto the Yeo 17-network parcellation and computing Network Association Scores. Across all studies, recollection robustly engaged the DMN (DMN-A/B/C) and the frontoparietal network (FPN)-C. Verbal recollection showed stronger and more extensive DMN involvement than visual recollection, with verbal > visual effects spanning all DMN subnetworks and FPN-C, whereas visual > verbal effects were sparse and primarily involved FPN-A. Categorical analyses (words, objects, scenes) yielded a consistent pattern in line with the primary results, despite limited statistical power. Together, these findings suggest that material-specific properties of retrieved content modulate DMN engagement during episodic recollection, with preferential recruitment of the DMN during verbal relative to visual recollection.