Meta-analysis of Functional Subdivisions Within Human Posteromedial Cortex

The posteromedial cortex (PMC)—comprising posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and the precuneus (PrC)—is perhaps best known for its involvement in the default mode network. There is no consensus regarding the specific functions of PMC, however, and its component regions each exhibit distinct, but partially overlapping functional profiles. To date, there has been minimal effort to disentangle the functions of these regions. In the present study, we use Neurosynth (http://neurosynth.org) to conduct an unbiased meta-analysis of the PMC based on fMRI coactivation and semantic information extracted from 11,406 studies. Our analyses revealed six PMC clusters with distinct functional profiles: superior and inferior dorsal PCC, anterior and posterior PrC, ventral PCC, and RSC. We discuss these findings in the context of the existing literature and suggest several fruitful avenues for continued research.