saliencenetwerk

The salience network, or saliencenetwerk in Dutch, is a large-scale brain network identified in functional imaging that supports the detection of behaviorally relevant stimuli and the coordination of neural resources in response. It is anchored mainly in the anterior insula and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, with additional involvement from parts of the frontal operculum and prefrontal cortex. In some literature the network is described as the ventral fronto-insular network.

Functionally, the salience network integrates interoceptive, emotional, and cognitive information to assign salience to stimuli and events. A central idea is that the SN acts as a dynamic switch that facilitates the reallocation of attention and control between the default mode network, which supports internally directed thought, and the central executive network, which underpins goal-directed tasks.

Connectivity and lateralization are characterized by robust interactions with the default mode and central executive networks and a tendency toward right-hemisphere dominance in salient-stimulus processing. The SN is observed across species and develops through childhood and adolescence, with maturation reflected in strengthening and pruning of connections.

Clinical relevance is broad: alterations in salience network activity or connectivity have been linked to disorders such as schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and PTSD, among others. Abnormal AI or dACC signaling within the SN is frequently reported and is thought to contribute to symptoms related to attentional control and affective processing.

Methods commonly identify the SN through resting-state and task-based functional MRI, as well as diffusion imaging and meta-analytic approaches. See also: default mode network and central executive network.