Brooding rumination as a mediator of the association between default mode and central executive network connectivity and general psychopathology: a resting state EEG study

Although the use of brain imaging techniques has greatly improved our knowledge of the psychophysiological underpinnings of rumination, the number of studies investigating brooding and reflective rumination as separate dimensions within the Triple Network (TN) perspective is still limited. The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) TN functional connectivity, rumination, and psychopathology in a sample of young adults. One hundred and twenty-seven individuals (95 females; mean age: 21.62 ± 2.53 years) were administered self-report measures assessing rumination and psychopathology and underwent a resting-state EEG recording with eyes closed. All EEG analyses were performed using the exact low-resolution electromagnetic tomography software (eLORETA). Our results showed that higher brooding rumination, but not reflection, was associated with increased beta connectivity (r = 0.308; adjusted-p = .043) between default mode network (DMN) and central executive network (CEN). This connectivity pattern was also positively correlated with the general level of psychopathology (rho = 0.254; p = .004). Lastly, a mediational model revealed that brooding rumination plays a significant role in the relationship between DMN-CEN beta connectivity and psychopathology and fully mediates this relationship. The cross-sectional design of the study and the retrospective self-reported data should be considered. Our findings may reflect the neurophysiological pattern underlying the difficulty and/or attempt to disengage from internal/self-related negative thoughts and highlight the role of maladaptive rumination in mediating the relationship between DMN-CEN connectivity and psychopathology.