At the most general level, our study suggests that global DMN dynamics may emerge from the combination of nodes that cooperate yet can have distinct functional relationships to other brain areas. Our analysis complements an emerging view which emphasizes the importance of flexibility in the dynamics of canonical brain networks (40). Indeed, our supplementary analyses (see SI Appendix, Figs. S9–S11) are in line with a whole-brain graph analysis (41) that reported individuals with higher IQ to have shorter path length in nodes of the DMN, which the authors interpreted as improved global efficiency of information transfer across networks. Hubs underlying general network control have been mainly identified in the DMN (38). Our analysis suggests that these hubs may make different contributions to cortical functioning.
