Salienceverkko

Salienceverkko, or the salience network, is a large-scale brain network that detects behaviorally relevant or salient stimuli and coordinates the brain’s response by facilitating switching between other major networks. The core nodes are typically the anterior insula and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. The right anterior insula is often emphasized as a key driver of salience detection and network switching, while the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex contributes to cognitive control and action selection. The network is studied with functional MRI, including resting-state and task-based paradigms, and is considered a hub that integrates internal states such as interoception and affect with external stimuli and cognitive demands.

Functionally, the salienceverkko is thought to identify salient events, coordinate engagement of the central executive network for goal-directed behavior, and disengage the default mode network when attention must be redirected. This dynamic switching supports attentional focus, adaptive behavior, and awareness, and it appears to play a role in monitoring the body and the environment to guide appropriate responses.

Clinical relevance is observed across a range of conditions. Altered salienceverkko connectivity or function has been reported in schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, and attention-related conditions, often related to difficulties in detecting relevance, filtering distractions, or flexibly switching networks. Ongoing research aims to clarify causal roles and mechanisms linking salience processing, network dynamics, and behavior.