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Zhong J, Jia Y, Zhu H, Wang D, Jia H. Effects of Ziprasidone or Haloperidol on Theory of Mind in Patients With Schizophrenia: A 16-week Pilot Trial. J Psychiatr Pract 2024; 30:32-42. [PMID: 38227725 DOI: 10.1097/pra.0000000000000752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Schizophrenia is associated with impairment in theory of mind (ToM), which is defined as the ability to make judgments about mental states and is related to medial prefrontal cortical activity. Ziprasidone, but not haloperidol, is known to have a protective effect in the medial prefrontal cortex. Thus, we hypothesized that these 2 drugs would have different efficacy in improving ToM task performance in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS Patients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of schizophrenia matched for sex, duration of illness, and education were randomized to receive ziprasidone (n=30) or haloperidol (n=30). All patients were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Personal and Social Functioning Scale. ToM was assessed using a first-order false belief task, a second-order false belief task, the faux-pas task, and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task, in order of developmental complexity and difficulty. The primary outcome was change in ToM performance from baseline to 16 weeks of treatment. RESULTS For the first-order false belief task, there were no significant differences between the groups (P>0.05). For the second-order false belief task, the interaction effect was significant (P<0.05), and the simple effect of time showed a significant difference only in the ziprasidone group (P<0.001). For the faux-pas task, the interaction effect was not significant (P>0.05). For the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task, the interaction effect was significant (P<0.05), and the simple effect of time showed a significant difference only in the ziprasidone group (P<0.001). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale results were similar between the groups. The ziprasidone group performed better than the haloperidol group on the Personal and Social Functioning Scale. There were no major safety concerns or adverse events. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study suggest that ziprasidone could improve ToM and might be superior to haloperidol for improving complex ToM as well as personal and social functioning in patients with schizophrenia. TRIAL REGISTRATION CHINESE CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTER ChiCTR2200060542.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhong
- ZHONG, JIA, ZHU, and JIA: The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China; WANG: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Mental Health Center, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China
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Chen Y, Cao H, Liu S, Zhang B, Zhao G, Zhang Z, Li S, Li H, Yu X, Deng H. Brain Structure Measurements Predict Individualized Treatment Outcome of 12-Week Antipsychotic Monotherapies in First-episode Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:697-705. [PMID: 37010371 PMCID: PMC10154710 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Early prediction of treatment response to antipsychotics in schizophrenia remains a challenge in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate if brain morphometries including gray matter volume and cortical thickness could serve as potential predictive biomarkers in first-episode schizophrenia. STUDY DESIGN Sixty-eight drug-naïve first-episode patients underwent baseline structural MRI scans and were subsequently randomized to receive a single antipsychotic throughout the first 12 weeks. Assessments for symptoms and social functioning were conducted by eight "core symptoms" selected from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-8) and the Personal and Social performance scale (PSP) multiple times during follow-ups. Treatment outcome was evaluated as subject-specific slope coefficients for PANSS-8 and PSP scores using linear mixed model. LASSO regression model were conducted to examine the performance of baseline gray matter volume and cortical thickness in prediction of individualized treatment outcome. STUDY RESULTS The study showed that individual brain morphometries at baseline, especially the orbitofrontal, temporal and parietal cortex, pallidum and amygdala, significantly predicted 12-week treatment outcome of PANSS-8 (r[predicted vs observed] = 0.49, P = .001) and PSP (r[predicted vs observed] = 0.40, P = .003) in first-episode schizophrenia. Moreover, the gray matter volume performed better than cortical thickness in the prediction the symptom changes (P = .034), while cortical thickness outperformed gray matter volume in the prediction of outcome of social functioning (P = .029). CONCLUSIONS These findings provide initial evidence that brain morphometry have potential to be used as prognostic predictors for antipsychotic response in patients, encouraging the future investigation of the translational value of these measures in precision psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Chen
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Hope Recovery and Rehabilitation Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hengyi Cao
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
- Division of Psychiatry Research, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
| | - Shanming Liu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | | | - Zhuoqiu Zhang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuiying Li
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Haiming Li
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Hong Deng
- Hope Recovery and Rehabilitation Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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SELENBP1 overexpression in the prefrontal cortex underlies negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2203711119. [PMID: 36512497 PMCID: PMC9907074 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203711119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1) has been reported to be up-regulated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of schizophrenia patients in postmortem reports. However, no causative link between SELENBP1 and schizophrenia has yet been established. Here, we provide evidence linking the upregulation of SELENBP1 in the PFC of mice with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. We verified the levels of SELENBP1 transcripts in postmortem PFC brain tissues from patients with schizophrenia and matched healthy controls. We also generated transgenic mice expressing human SELENBP1 (hSELENBP1 Tg) and examined their neuropathological features, intrinsic firing properties of PFC 2/3-layer pyramidal neurons, and frontal cortex (FC) electroencephalographic (EEG) responses to auditory stimuli. Schizophrenia-like behaviors in hSELENBP1 Tg mice and mice expressing Selenbp1 in the FC were assessed. SELENBP1 transcript levels were higher in the brains of patients with schizophrenia than in those of matched healthy controls. The hSELENBP1 Tg mice displayed negative endophenotype behaviors, including heterotopias- and ectopias-like anatomical deformities in upper-layer cortical neurons and social withdrawal, deficits in nesting, and anhedonia-like behavior. Additionally, hSELENBP1 Tg mice exhibited reduced excitabilities of PFC 2/3-layer pyramidal neurons and abnormalities in EEG biomarkers observed in schizophrenia. Furthermore, mice overexpressing Selenbp1 in FC showed deficits in sociability. These results suggest that upregulation of SELENBP1 in the PFC causes asociality, a negative symptom of schizophrenia.
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Beals K, Sperry SH, Sheffield JM. Empathy, Emotion Recognition, and Paranoia in the General Population. Front Psychol 2022; 13:804178. [PMID: 35282255 PMCID: PMC8908382 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.804178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Paranoia is associated with a multitude of social cognitive deficits, observed in both clinical and subclinical populations. Empathy is significantly and broadly impaired in schizophrenia, yet its relationship with subclinical paranoia is poorly understood. Furthermore, deficits in emotion recognition - a very early component of empathic processing - are present in both clinical and subclinical paranoia. Deficits in emotion recognition may therefore underlie relationships between paranoia and empathic processing. The current investigation aims to add to the literature on social cognition and paranoia by: (1) characterizing the relationship between paranoia and empathy, and (2) testing whether there is an indirect effect of emotion recognition on the relationship between empathy and paranoia. Methods Paranoia, empathy, and emotion recognition were assessed in a non-clinical sample of adults (n = 226) from the Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland (NKI-Rockland) dataset. Paranoia was measured using the Peters Delusions Inventory-21 (PDI-21). Empathy was measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a self-report instrument designed to assess empathy using four subscales: Personal Distress, Empathic Concern, Perspective Taking, and Fantasy. Emotion recognition was assessed using the Penn Emotion Recognition Test (ER-40). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to estimate relationships between paranoia, the four measures of empathy and emotion recognition. Results Paranoia was associated with the Fantasy subscale of the IRI, such that higher Fantasy was associated with more severe paranoia (p < 0.001). No other empathy subscales were associated with paranoia. Fantasy was also associated with the emotion recognition of fear, such that higher Fantasy was correlated with better recognition of fear (p = 0.008). Paranoia and emotion recognition were not significantly associated. The Empathic Concern subscale was negatively associated with emotion recognition, with higher empathic concern related to worse overall emotion recognition (p = 0.002). All indirect paths through emotion recognition were non-significant. Discussion These results suggest that imaginative perspective-taking contributes to paranoia in the general population. These data do not, however, point to robust global relationships between empathy and paranoia or to emotion recognition as an underlying mechanism. Deficits in empathy and emotion recognition observed in schizophrenia may be associated with the broader pathology of schizophrenia, and therefore not detectable with subclinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall Beals
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Sarah H. Sperry
- Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Julia M. Sheffield
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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Modulating Social Feedback Processing by Deep TMS Targeting the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: Behavioral and Electrophysiological Manifestations. Neuroimage 2022; 250:118967. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Decreased gray matter volume is associated with theory of mind deficit in adolescents with schizophrenia. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:1441-1450. [PMID: 35060009 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-021-00591-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia patients often suffer from deficit in theory of mind (TOM). Prior neuroimaging studies revealed neuroimaging correlates of TOM deficit in adults with schizophrenia, neuroimaging correlates of TOM in adolescents is less well established. This study aimed to investigate gray matter volume (GMV) abnormalities and TOM deficits in schizophrenic adolescents, and examine the relationship between them. Twenty adolescent schizophrenic patients and 25 age, sex-matched healthy controls underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and were examined for TOM based on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET). Univariate voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and multivariate source-based morphometry (SBM) were employed to examine alterations of two GMV phenotypes in schizophrenic adolescents: voxel-wise GMV and covarying structural brain patterns (SBPs). Compared with controls, our results revealed a significant deficit in RMET performance of the patients, Voxel-wise VBM analysis revealed that patients exhibited decreased GMV in bilateral insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and right rolandic operculum, and GMV of these brain regions were positively correlated with RMET performance. Multivariate SBM analysis identified a significantly different between-group SBP comprising of bilateral insula and inferior frontal cortex, bilateral superior temporal cortex, and bilateral lateral parietal cortex and right rolandic operculum. The loading scores of this SBP was positively correlated with RMET performance. This study revealed impairment of TOM ability in schizophrenic adolescents and revealed an association between TOM deficit and decreased GMV in regions which are crucial for social cognition, thereby provided insight and possible target regions for understanding the neural pathology and normalizing TOM deficit in adolescent schizophrenia patients.
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Guidi C, Traversa C. Empathy in patient care: from 'Clinical Empathy' to 'Empathic Concern'. MEDICINE, HEALTH CARE, AND PHILOSOPHY 2021; 24:573-585. [PMID: 34196934 PMCID: PMC8557158 DOI: 10.1007/s11019-021-10033-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
As empathy gains importance within academia, we propose this review as an attempt to bring clarity upon the diverse and widely debated definitions and conceptions of empathy within the medical field. In this paper, we first evaluate the limits of the Western mainstream medical culture and discuss the origins of phenomena such as dehumanization and detached concern as well as their impacts on patient care. We then pass on to a structured overview of the debate surrounding the notion of clinical empathy and its taxonomy in the medical setting. In particular, we present the dichotomous conception of clinical empathy that is articulated in the debate around cognitive empathy and affective empathy. We thus consider the negative impacts that this categorization brings about. Finally, we advocate for a more encompassing, holistic conception of clinical empathy; one that gives value to a genuine interest in welcoming, acknowledging and responding to the emotions of those suffering. Following this line of reasoning, we advance the notion of 'empathic concern', a re-conceptualization of clinical empathy that finds its source in Halpern in Med Health Care Philos (2014) 17:301-311 engaged curiosity. We ultimately advance Narrative Medicine as an approach to introduce, teach and promote such an attitude among medical trainees and practitioners.
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Arioli M, Cattaneo Z, Ricciardi E, Canessa N. Overlapping and specific neural correlates for empathizing, affective mentalizing, and cognitive mentalizing: A coordinate-based meta-analytic study. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:4777-4804. [PMID: 34322943 PMCID: PMC8410528 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
While the discussion on the foundations of social understanding mainly revolves around the notions of empathy, affective mentalizing, and cognitive mentalizing, their degree of overlap versus specificity is still unclear. We took a meta-analytic approach to unveil the neural bases of cognitive mentalizing, affective mentalizing, and empathy, both in healthy individuals and pathological conditions characterized by social deficits such as schizophrenia and autism. We observed partially overlapping networks for cognitive and affective mentalizing in the medial prefrontal, posterior cingulate, and lateral temporal cortex, while empathy mainly engaged fronto-insular, somatosensory, and anterior cingulate cortex. Adjacent process-specific regions in the posterior lateral temporal, ventrolateral, and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex might underpin a transition from abstract representations of cognitive mental states detached from sensory facets to emotionally-charged representations of affective mental states. Altered mentalizing-related activity involved distinct sectors of the posterior lateral temporal cortex in schizophrenia and autism, while only the latter group displayed abnormal empathy related activity in the amygdala. These data might inform the design of rehabilitative treatments for social cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Arioli
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Zaira Cattaneo
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Canessa
- ICoN center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy.,Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Pavia, Italy
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Pluymen P, Pequet A, Thomas H, Warnell KR. Capturing individual differences in social motivation using a novel interactive task. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Norbom LB, Ferschmann L, Parker N, Agartz I, Andreassen OA, Paus T, Westlye LT, Tamnes CK. New insights into the dynamic development of the cerebral cortex in childhood and adolescence: Integrating macro- and microstructural MRI findings. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 204:102109. [PMID: 34147583 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Through dynamic transactional processes between genetic and environmental factors, childhood and adolescence involve reorganization and optimization of the cerebral cortex. The cortex and its development plays a crucial role for prototypical human cognitive abilities. At the same time, many common mental disorders appear during these critical phases of neurodevelopment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can indirectly capture several multifaceted changes of cortical macro- and microstructure, of high relevance to further our understanding of the neural foundation of cognition and mental health. Great progress has been made recently in mapping the typical development of cortical morphology. Moreover, newer less explored MRI signal intensity and specialized quantitative T2 measures have been applied to assess microstructural cortical development. We review recent findings of typical postnatal macro- and microstructural development of the cerebral cortex from early childhood to young adulthood. We cover studies of cortical volume, thickness, area, gyrification, T1-weighted (T1w) tissue contrasts such a grey/white matter contrast, T1w/T2w ratio, magnetization transfer and myelin water fraction. Finally, we integrate imaging studies with cortical gene expression findings to further our understanding of the underlying neurobiology of the developmental changes, bridging the gap between ex vivo histological- and in vivo MRI studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linn B Norbom
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Lia Ferschmann
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Nadine Parker
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ingrid Agartz
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Tomáš Paus
- ECOGENE-21, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Canada
| | - Lars T Westlye
- K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Christian K Tamnes
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Macro- and micro-structural cerebellar and cortical characteristics of cognitive empathy towards fictional characters in healthy individuals. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8804. [PMID: 33888760 PMCID: PMC8062506 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87861-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Few investigations have analyzed the neuroanatomical substrate of empathic capacities in healthy subjects, and most of them have neglected the potential involvement of cerebellar structures. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between bilateral cerebellar macro- and micro-structural measures and levels of cognitive and affective trait empathy (measured by Interpersonal Reactivity Index, IRI) in a sample of 70 healthy subjects of both sexes. We also estimated morphometric variations of cerebral Gray Matter structures, to ascertain whether the potential empathy-related peculiarities in cerebellar areas were accompanied by structural differences in other cerebral regions. At macro-structural level, the volumetric differences were analyzed by Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM)- and Region of Interest (ROI)-based approaches, and at a micro-structural level, we analyzed Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data, focusing in particular on Mean Diffusivity and Fractional Anisotropy. Fantasy IRI-subscale was found to be positively associated with volumes in right cerebellar Crus 2 and pars triangularis of inferior frontal gyrus. The here described morphological variations of cerebellar Crus 2 and pars triangularis allow to extend the traditional cortico-centric view of cognitive empathy to the cerebellar regions and indicate that in empathizing with fictional characters the cerebellar and frontal areas are co-recruited.
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Vucurovic K, Caillies S, Kaladjian A. Neural Correlates of Mentalizing in Individuals With Clinical High Risk for Schizophrenia: ALE Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:634015. [PMID: 33959048 PMCID: PMC8095711 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.634015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychotic disorder refers to a spectrum of disorders that have multiple etiologies, due to the complex interaction of biological and genetic vulnerability with familial and cultural factors. A clinical high risk (CHR) for schizophrenia is defined as the presence of brief, attenuated, or intermittent psychotic symptoms in non-schizophrenic individuals. The transition to schizophrenia appears significantly more frequent in this at-risk population than in the general population. Moreover, the ability to attribute mental states to others, known as mentalizing or theory of mind, and its neural correlates found in individuals with CHR are similar to those described in patients with schizophrenia. We have therefore explored neurofunctional correlates of mentalizing in individuals with CHR vs. healthy controls, in order to identify the differences in brain activation. A neural coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of existing neuroimaging data revealed that three regions displayed decreased activation in individuals with CHR, compared with healthy controls: the right temporoparietal junction, the right middle temporal gyrus, and the left precuneus. These results, combined with those in the literature, further support the hypothesis that abnormal activation of posterior brain regions involved in mentalizing correlates with psychotic symptoms in help-seeking individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenija Vucurovic
- Laboratory Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S), Department of Psychology, University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims, France
- Centre Rémois de Psychothérapie et Neuromodulation, Reims, France
| | - Stéphanie Caillies
- Laboratory Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S), Department of Psychology, University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Arthur Kaladjian
- Laboratory Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S), Department of Psychology, University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims, France
- Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, CHU de Reims, EPSM Marne, Reims, France
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Hegde RR, Guimond S, Bannai D, Zeng V, Padani S, Eack SM, Keshavan MS. Theory of Mind impairments in early course schizophrenia: An fMRI study. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 136:236-243. [PMID: 33621908 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to perceive others' mental states. Lower ToM has often been associated with poorer functional outcomes in schizophrenia, making it an important treatment target. However, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms associated with ToM impairments in early course schizophrenia. This study aimed to validate the False Belief task to measure ToM in schizophrenia and to identify aberrant brain activity associated with impairments. 36 individuals with early course schizophrenia and 17 controls were administered the Hinting Task and performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) False Belief task. Between-group differences were examined in a priori regions of interest (ROIs) known to be associated with ToM tasks: medial prefrontal cortex, ventral medial prefrontal cortex, and both the left and right temporal parietal junction (TPJ). We observed a significant positive association between Hinting Task performance and False Belief accuracy, validating the False Belief task as a measure of ToM. Compared to controls, individuals with schizophrenia exhibited reduced brain activation in all four ROIs during the fMRI False Belief task. Furthermore, task-related activations in bilateral TPJs were shown to be positively associated with ToM abilities regardless of diagnosis. Individuals with schizophrenia with lower performance on the False Belief task showed significant reductions in task-related activation in the bilateral TPJ compared to controls, while reductions were not significant for those with higher performance. Our findings suggest that lower neural activity in the bilateral TPJ are associated with ToM impairments observed in individuals with early course schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachal R Hegde
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Synthia Guimond
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada
| | - Deepthi Bannai
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victor Zeng
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shezal Padani
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shaun M Eack
- Department of Psychiatry and School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Zhong J, Zhu H, Yin D, Ning Y, Zheng S, Zhang Y, Jia H. Paliperidone Compared with Haloperidol on the Theory of Mind Tasks in Schizophrenia: A Pilot Trial. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021; 17:3683-3691. [PMID: 34934321 PMCID: PMC8684422 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s335597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Theory of mind (ToM) is an important part of social cognitive function and is associated with medial prefrontal cortical (mPFC) activity. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of paliperidone in improving ToM task performance in patients with schizophrenia compared with haloperidol. PATIENTS AND METHODS This study was a single-center, single-blinded (assessor), parallel-group randomized clinical trial of patients with schizophrenia randomized to paliperidone or haloperidol. ToM was assessed at weeks 0, 8, 12, and 16 using the first-order belief, higher-order belief, faux-pas, and Reading the Mind in the Eyes tests. The primary outcome was the change in the ToM performance scores from baseline to after 16 weeks of treatment. RESULTS The participants received paliperidone (n = 29) or haloperidol (n = 31). For the first-order belief task, there were no between-group differences (P > 0.05) but time differences in both groups (P < 0.05). For the higher-order belief task, there were no between-group differences (P > 0.05), but there were time differences in both groups (P < 0.05) and a time×group interaction in the paliperidone group only (P < 0.05). For the faux-pas task, there was a difference between groups at week 16 (P < 0.05), and the improvement in time was significant for the paliperidone group only (P < 0.05). For the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task, there was an improvement over time for the paliperidone group only (P < 0.05). Safety was manageable in both groups. CONCLUSION Paliperidone treatment might be more effective than haloperidol in improving ToM task performance in schizophrenia. TRIAL REGISTRATION chictr.org.cn_identifier ChiCTR-IPR-15007635.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhong
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Zhu
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongqing Yin
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanzhe Ning
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Sisi Zheng
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanbo Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hongxiao Jia
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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15
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Zhuo C, Xu X, Lin X, Chen M, Ji F, Jiang D, Xu Y, Wang L, Li Y, Tian H, Wang W, Zhou C. Depressive symptoms combined with auditory hallucinations are accompanied with severe gray matter brain impairments in patients with first-episode untreated schizophrenia - A pilot study in China. Neurosci Lett 2020; 730:135033. [PMID: 32417389 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive symptoms and auditory hallucinations (AHs) are often accompanied by gray matter volume (GMV) alterations in schizophrenia. However, little is known about the effects of concurrent depressive symptoms and AHs on the GMV of patients with schizophrenia. AIM To investigate the pathological features of gray brain matter in patients with first-episode untreated schizophrenia (FUSCH) who have concurrent moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms and AHs (FUSCH-DAH). METHODS The Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) and Auditory Hallucinations Rating Scale (AHRS) were adopted. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM)-based GMV analyses were used to measure cortical alterations. FUSCH-DAH patients were compared to FUSCH patients with depressive symptoms but without AHs, denoted as FUSCH-D, along with healthy controls. RESULTS GMV reductions were more substantial in the FUSCH-DAH patients than FUSCH-D patients or healthy controls. Both FUSCH-DAH and FUSCH-D groups showed GMV reductions of the parietal, frontal, and temporal lobes, which were not apparent in the healthy controls. Compared to FUSCH-D patients, FUSCH-DAH patients demonstrated more substantial GMV reductions in the Broca area, Wernicke region, insular lobe, and prefrontal lobe. The GMV reductions were 1.06% and 0.58% in FUSCH-DAH and FUSCH-D patients, respectively, as compared with the healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report showing that concurrent depressive symptoms and AHs leads to severe GMV deterioration in FUSCH-DAH patients. Hence, there is a reciprocal relationship between AHs and depressive symptoms in FUSCH-DAH patients. However, the potential additive effects of concurrent AHs and depressive symptoms require further investigation in order to identify future targeted therapies for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanjun Zhuo
- Department of Biological Psychiatry, School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining 272191, Shandong Province, China; Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang Province, China; Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetics and Comorbidity Laboratory (PNGC_Lab), Tianjin Anding Hospital, 300300 Tianjin, China.
| | - Xuexin Xu
- Department of Radiology, MRI Center, Tianjin Children Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated Tianjin Children Hospital, Tianjin 300444, China
| | - Xiaodong Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Biological Psychiatry, School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining 272191, Shandong Province, China
| | - Feng Ji
- Department of Biological Psychiatry, School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining 272191, Shandong Province, China
| | - Deguo Jiang
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yong Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; MDT Center for Cognitive Impairment and Sleep Disorders, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Lina Wang
- Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetics and Comorbidity Laboratory (PNGC_Lab), Tianjin Anding Hospital, 300300 Tianjin, China
| | - Yancheng Li
- Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetics and Comorbidity Laboratory (PNGC_Lab), Tianjin Anding Hospital, 300300 Tianjin, China
| | - Hongjun Tian
- Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetics and Comorbidity Laboratory (PNGC_Lab), Tianjin Anding Hospital, 300300 Tianjin, China
| | - Wenqiang Wang
- Canada and China Joint Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Xiamen Xianye Hospital, Xiamen 361000, Fujian Province, China
| | - Chunhua Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China
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16
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Thibaudeau É, Achim AM, Parent C, Turcotte M, Cellard C. A meta-analysis of the associations between theory of mind and neurocognition in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2020; 216:118-128. [PMID: 31899095 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to infer the mental states of others. ToM is impaired in schizophrenia and these deficits seem to hinder functional recovery. ToM is thus an important, but complex treatment target, supported by several processes. A large number of studies report significant associations between ToM and neurocognition (e.g. memory, attention), but the neurocognitive domains that are most closely linked to ToM remain to be identified. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the magnitude of the associations between ToM and neurocognition in people with schizophrenia. Correlations were extracted from the relevant literature, transformed into effect sizes Zr and pooled as weighted means. Focused-tests were employed to test for differences between neurocognitive domains and for differences linked to the characteristics of ToM tasks. Ninety-one studies (N = 5462) were included. Moderate associations emerged between ToM and each neurocognitive domain (Zrs 0.27-0.43), with no significant difference between domains (χ2(8) = 11.89, p = 0.156). Within the domain of executive functions, abstraction showed a stronger association with ToM (χ2(4) = 18.93, p = 0.001). Several ToM tasks characteristics (e.g. modality of stimuli, type of mental state), were significantly related to the magnitude of the associations between ToM and executive functions, visuospatial/problem solving, attention and episodic memory. These results suggest that ToM is linked to a wide range of neurocognitive abilities in schizophrenia, and that ToM tasks are a significant moderator of these associations. The assessment and treatment of ToM should consider the neurocognitive profile of each patient to understand his difficulties and to tailor interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Élisabeth Thibaudeau
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale (CIUSSS-CN), 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, G1J 2G3 Québec, Québec, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, 2325 Allée des Bibliothèques, G1V 0A6 Québec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Amélie M Achim
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale (CIUSSS-CN), 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, G1J 2G3 Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de psychiatrie et neurosciences, Université Laval, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, 1050 avenue de la Médecine, local 4873, G1V 0A6 Québec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Carolane Parent
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale (CIUSSS-CN), 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, G1J 2G3 Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de psychiatrie et neurosciences, Université Laval, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, 1050 avenue de la Médecine, local 4873, G1V 0A6 Québec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Mélissa Turcotte
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, 2325 Allée des Bibliothèques, G1V 0A6 Québec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Caroline Cellard
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale (CIUSSS-CN), 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, G1J 2G3 Québec, Québec, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, 2325 Allée des Bibliothèques, G1V 0A6 Québec, Québec, Canada.
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17
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Modinos G, Kempton MJ, Tognin S, Calem M, Porffy L, Antoniades M, Mason A, Azis M, Allen P, Nelson B, McGorry P, Pantelis C, Riecher-Rössler A, Borgwardt S, Bressan R, Barrantes-Vidal N, Krebs MO, Nordentoft M, Glenthøj B, Ruhrmann S, Sachs G, Rutten B, van Os J, de Haan L, Velthorst E, van der Gaag M, Valmaggia LR, McGuire P. Association of Adverse Outcomes With Emotion Processing and Its Neural Substrate in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis. JAMA Psychiatry 2020; 77:190-200. [PMID: 31722018 PMCID: PMC6865249 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.3501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The development of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with psychosis has been associated with behavioral and neuroanatomical deficits related to emotion processing. However, the association between alterations in brain regions subserving emotion processing and clinical outcomes remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between alterations in emotion processing and regional gray matter volumes in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis, and the association with subsequent clinical outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This naturalistic case-control study with clinical follow-up at 12 months was conducted from July 1, 2010, to August 31, 2016, and collected data from 9 psychosis early detection centers (Amsterdam, Basel, Cologne, Copenhagen, London, Melbourne, Paris, The Hague, and Vienna). Participants (213 individuals at CHR and 52 healthy controls) were enrolled in the European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) project. Data were analyzed from October 1, 2018, to April 24, 2019. MAIN MEASURES AND OUTCOMES Emotion recognition was assessed with the Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task. Three-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from all participants, and gray matter volume was measured in regions of interest (medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and insula). Clinical outcomes at 12 months were evaluated for transition to psychosis using the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States criteria, and the level of overall functioning was measured through the Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF] scale. RESULTS A total of 213 individuals at CHR (105 women [49.3%]; mean [SD] age, 22.9 [4.7] years) and 52 healthy controls (25 women [48.1%]; mean [SD] age, 23.3 [4.0] years) were included in the study at baseline. At the follow-up within 2 years of baseline, 44 individuals at CHR (20.7%) had developed psychosis and 169 (79.3%) had not. Of the individuals at CHR reinterviewed with the GAF, 39 (30.0%) showed good overall functioning (GAF score, ≥65), whereas 91 (70.0%) had poor overall functioning (GAF score, <65). Within the CHR sample, better anger recognition at baseline was associated with worse functional outcome (odds ratio [OR], 0.88; 95% CI, 0.78-0.99; P = .03). In individuals at CHR with a good functional outcome, positive associations were found between anger recognition and hippocampal volume (ze = 3.91; familywise error [FWE] P = .02) and between fear recognition and medial prefrontal cortex volume (z = 3.60; FWE P = .02), compared with participants with a poor outcome. The onset of psychosis was not associated with baseline emotion recognition performance (neutral OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.79-1.09; P = .37; happy OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.84-1.25; P = .81; fear OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.85-1.13; P = .77; anger OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.89-1.12; P = .96). No difference was observed in the association between performance and regional gray matter volumes in individuals at CHR who developed or did not develop psychosis (FWE P < .05). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, poor functional outcome in individuals at CHR was found to be associated with baseline abnormalities in recognizing negative emotion. This finding has potential implications for the stratification of individuals at CHR and suggests that interventions that target socioemotional processing may improve functional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Modinos
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom,Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J. Kempton
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom,National Institute for Health Research, Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefania Tognin
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Calem
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lilla Porffy
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mathilde Antoniades
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ava Mason
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matilda Azis
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Allen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom,Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| | - Barnaby Nelson
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patrick McGorry
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, University of Copenhagen, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Copenhagen, Denmark,Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, University of Copenhagen, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Copenhagen, Denmark,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Rodrigo Bressan
- LiNC—Lab Interdisciplinar Neurociências Clínicas, Depto Psiquiatria, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo—UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Neus Barrantes-Vidal
- Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Fundació Sanitària Sant Pere Claver (Spain), Spanish Mental Health Research Network (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- University of Paris, GHU-Paris, Sainte-Anne, C’JAAD, Hospitalo-Universitaire Department SHU, Inserm U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie (CNRS 3557), Paris, France
| | - Merete Nordentoft
- Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark,Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birte Glenthøj
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, University of Copenhagen, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Copenhagen, Denmark,Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, University of Copenhagen, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stephan Ruhrmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gabriele Sachs
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bart Rutten
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Jim van Os
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom,University Medical Centre Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Psychiatry, Utrecht University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Lieuwe de Haan
- Early Psychosis Department, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eva Velthorst
- Early Psychosis Department, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Mark van der Gaag
- Amsterdam Public Mental Health Research Institute, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychosis Research, The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Lucia R. Valmaggia
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom,National Institute for Health Research, Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom,South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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18
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Vucurovic K, Caillies S, Kaladjian A. Neural correlates of theory of mind and empathy in schizophrenia: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 120:163-174. [PMID: 31689587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition impairment predicts social functioning in schizophrenia. Several studies have found abnormal brain activation in patients with schizophrenia during social cognition tasks. Nevertheless, no coordinate-based meta-analysis comparing the neural correlates of theory of mind and empathy had been done in this population. Our aim was to explore neural correlates related to theory of mind and empathy in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls, in order to identify abnormal brain activation related to emotional content during mental state attribution in schizophrenia. We performed a neural-coordinate-based Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of existing neuroimaging data in the literature to distinguish between abnormal brain maps associated with emotional attribution and those associated with intention/belief inference. We found that brain activation in patients group was significantly decreased in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) during emotional attribution, while there was a significant decrease in the left posterior temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during intention/belief attribution. Using a meta-analytic connectivity modeling approach (MACM), we demonstrated that both regions are coactivated with other brain regions known to play a role in social cognition, including the bilateral anterior insula, right TPJ, left amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In addition, abnormal activation in both the left TPJ and right VLPFC was previously reported in association with verbal-auditory hallucinations and a "jumping to conclusions" cognitive bias. Thus, these regions could be valuable targets for therapeutic interventions in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenija Vucurovic
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France.
| | - Stéphanie Caillies
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France
| | - Arthur Kaladjian
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Reims, France
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19
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Pan Y, Cheng X. Two-Person Approaches to Studying Social Interaction in Psychiatry: Uses and Clinical Relevance. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:301. [PMID: 32390881 PMCID: PMC7193689 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interaction is ubiquitous in human society. The two-person approach-a new, powerful tool to study information exchange and social behaviors-aims to characterize the behavioral dynamics and neural mechanisms of real-time social interactions. In this review, we discuss the benefits of two-person approaches compared to those for conventional, single-person approaches. We describe measures and paradigms that model social interaction in three dimensions (3-D), including eye-to-eye, body-to-body, and brain-to-brain relationships. We then discuss how these two-person measures and paradigms are used in psychiatric conditions (e.g., autism, mood disorders, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and psychotherapy). Furthermore, the advantages of a two-person approach (e.g., dual brain stimulation, multi-person neurofeedback) in clinical interventions are described. Finally, we discuss the methodological and translational challenges surrounding the application of two-person approaches in psychiatry, as well as prospects for future two-/multi-person studies. We conclude that two-person approaches serve as useful additions to the range of behavioral and neuroscientific methods available to assess social interaction in psychiatric settings, for both diagnostic techniques and complementary interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Pan
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xiaojun Cheng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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20
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Quidé Y, Wilhelmi C, Green MJ. Structural brain morphometry associated with theory of mind in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Psych J 2019; 9:234-246. [DOI: 10.1002/pchj.322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Quidé
- School of Psychiatry University of New South Wales Sydney Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia Randwick Australia
| | | | - Melissa J. Green
- School of Psychiatry University of New South Wales Sydney Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia Randwick Australia
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21
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Ives-Deliperi VL, Jokeit H. Impaired Social Cognition in Epilepsy: A Review of What We Have Learnt From Neuroimaging Studies. Front Neurol 2019; 10:940. [PMID: 31572284 PMCID: PMC6752178 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Social cognition refers to specific mental processes that subserve social interaction. Impaired social cognition has been increasingly reported in patients with epilepsy and negatively affects overall quality of life (QOL). In this article, we will review neuroimaging studies of social cognition in people with epilepsy. Methods: An electronic search of the literature was conducted and 14 studies qualified for inclusion in the review. Results: Although the studies reviewed revealed a varied pattern of neural activations in response to emotion recognition and theory of mind tasks, consensual findings included altered pattern of signal activation in the social cognition network in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) compared to healthy controls and significantly reduced signal activations and functional connectivity within this network in patients with right mesial temporal lobe pathology. Conclusion: This review contextualizes our current understanding of the pathophysiology of impaired social cognition in epilepsy and makes recommendations for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hennric Jokeit
- Department of Neuropsychology, Swiss Epilepsy Centre, Zurich, Switzerland
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22
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Functional connectivity of the default mode network is associated with prospection in schizophrenia patients and individuals with social anhedonia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 92:412-420. [PMID: 30822447 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prospection, which is closely related to negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, is mainly associated with the Default Mode Network (DMN). Although abnormalities of the DMN have been reported in schizophrenia patients and at-risk individuals, little is known about the relationship between functional connectivity of the DMN and prospection in these clinical and subclinical populations. METHOD Study 1 recruited 40 schizophrenia patients and 29 healthy controls, while 31 individuals with social anhedonia (SocAhn) and 28 controls participated in Study 2. Participants in both studies were asked to complete a prospection task and underwent resting-state functional MRI scans. Eleven regions of interest (ROIs) in the DMN were defined. Functional connectivity between each ROI and whole brain voxels were calculated and compared between groups (schizophrenia vs. control and SocAhn vs. control). Correlation analysis was conducted between altered functional connectivity and prospection variables in the schizophrenia and SocAhn groups. RESULTS Schizophrenia patients showed both hyper-connectivity and hypo-connectivity at the medial temporal lobe (MTL) subsystem of the DMN. Decreased connectivity between the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) and the right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG) was correlated with poor thought/emotion details in prospection. In individuals with SocAhn, decreased connectivity between the retrosplenial cortex (Rsp), a region of the MTL subsystem, and the right fusiform gyrus, was found and this was correlated with their prospection performance. CONCLUSION Altered functional connectivity of the key nodes of the MTL subsystem was found in both patients with schizophrenia and individuals with SocAhn. Moreover, hypo-connectivity of the vMPFC was found to be correlated with prospection impairments in schizophrenia patients.
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Differentiating implicit and explicit theory of mind and associated neural networks in youth at Clinical High Risk (CHR) for psychosis. Schizophr Res 2019; 208:173-181. [PMID: 30979668 PMCID: PMC6544479 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Theory of mind (ToM) has been shown to be impaired in Clinical High Risk (CHR) for psychosis populations and is linked to functional outcomes and symptom severity. Implicit versus explicit ToM has seldom been differentiated in this group, and underlying neural networks have also gone unexplored. METHODS 24 CHR and 26 healthy volunteers (HV) completed a behavioral ToM measure called the Short Story Task (SST), as well as a resting state functional MRI scan. SST performance was correlated to attenuated psychosis symptoms. Interactions between group and ToM variables (implicit, explicit, and comprehension) on global efficiency in the Mentalizing (MENT) and Mirror Neuron System (MNS) were also examined. RESULTS CHR individuals made significantly fewer spontaneous mental state inferences. There were trend-level associations between ToM variables and symptoms, such that greater ToM performance predicted less severe symptoms. There was an interaction of group by spontaneous mental state inference within MENT bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), such that CHR individuals that made spontaneous mental state inferences showed greater global efficiency within the MENT network's bilateral dmPFC. DISCUSSION Findings suggest implicit ToM deficits are observable prior to psychotic disorder onset, and that these deficits implicate MENT network dmPFC efficiency. Explicit ToM performance was unaltered in the CHR group, and there were no interactions observed within MNS, suggesting specificity of implicit ToM associations with MENT network dmPFC global efficiency. Results identify potential treatment targets for the neural underpinnings of ToM, thus informing prevention and intervention efforts.
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Bartholomeusz CF, Ganella EP, Whittle S, Allott K, Thompson A, Abu-Akel A, Walter H, McGorry P, Killackey E, Pantelis C, Wood SJ. An fMRI study of theory of mind in individuals with first episode psychosis. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 281:1-11. [PMID: 30212786 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM), the ability to infer one's own and others' mental states, is the social cognitive process shown to have the greatest impact on functional outcome in schizophrenia. It is not yet known if neural abnormalities underlying ToM present early, during the first episode of psychosis (FEP). Fourteen FEP participants and twenty-two healthy control participants, aged 15-25, were included in analyses. All participants had a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scan and completed a block-design picture-story attribution-of-intentions ToM fMRI task, and completed a battery of behavioral social cognitive measures including a ToM task. General linear model analyses were carried out. Post-hoc regression analyses were conducted to explore whether aberrant ToM-related activation in FEP participants was associated with symptomatology and global social and occupational functioning. FEP participants, when compared to healthy controls, had significantly less activity in the right temporoparietal junction, right orbitofrontal cortex and left middle prefrontal/inferior frontal cortex, when making social attributions. Aberrant ToM-related activation in the right temporoparietal junction was associated with severity of overall psychopathology, but not functional outcome. Specific regions of the social brain network, associated with ToM, are dysfunctional in young people with FEP. Future research should determine whether alteration of normal brain functioning in relation to ToM occurs before or during illness onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cali F Bartholomeusz
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Eleni P Ganella
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kelly Allott
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Thompson
- Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Ahmad Abu-Akel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Henrik Walter
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Berlin University of Medicine, corporate member of Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrick McGorry
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eóin Killackey
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Neural Engineering (CfNE), Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia; Florey Institute for Neuroscience & Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen J Wood
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Zemánková P, Lošák J, Czekóová K, Lungu O, Jáni M, Kašpárek T, Bareš M. Theory of Mind Skills Are Related to Resting-State Frontolimbic Connectivity in Schizophrenia. Brain Connect 2018; 8:350-361. [PMID: 29869536 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2017.0563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia (SCH) often demonstrate impairment in social-cognitive functions as well as disturbances in large-scale network connectivity. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is a core region of the default mode network, with projections to limbic structures. It plays an important role in social and emotional decision-making. We investigated whether resting-state functional connectivity (FC) relates to the cognitive and affective domains of theory of mind (ToM). Twenty-three SCH patients and 19 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. vmPFC seed connectivity was correlated with behavioral measures assessing ToM domains. SCH performed less well than HCs in both ToM task domains. An analysis of the resting-state FC revealed that SCH had reduced connectivity from the vmPFC to the subcallosal cortex, right amygdala, and right hippocampus as a function of behavioral scores in both ToM domains. Within-group analyses indicated that in HCs, the performance in ToM was positively associated with frontoamygdalar resting-state connectivity, whereas in SCH, the performance in ToM was negatively associated with the frontosubcallosal connectivity. Differences in the pattern of the resting-state frontolimbic connectivity and its associations with performance in ToM tasks between the two study groups might represent a different setup for processing social information in patients with SCH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Zemánková
- 1 Behavioural and Social Neuroscience Research Group, CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University , Brno, Czech Republic .,2 Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University , Brno, Czech Republic .,3 First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and St. Anne's Teaching Hospital , Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Lošák
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University , Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kristína Czekóová
- 1 Behavioural and Social Neuroscience Research Group, CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University , Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ovidiu Lungu
- 4 Psychiatry Department, University of Montreal , Montreal, Canada .,5 Functional Neuroimaging Unit, Research Centre of the Montreal Geriatric Institute , Montreal, Canada .,6 Centre for Research on Aging, Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre , Montreal, Canada
| | - Martin Jáni
- 1 Behavioural and Social Neuroscience Research Group, CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University , Brno, Czech Republic .,2 Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University , Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Kašpárek
- 1 Behavioural and Social Neuroscience Research Group, CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University , Brno, Czech Republic .,2 Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University , Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Bareš
- 3 First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and St. Anne's Teaching Hospital , Brno, Czech Republic .,7 Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Bonfils KA, Minor KS, Leonhardt BL, Lysaker PH. Metacognitive self-reflectivity moderates the relationship between distress tolerance and empathy in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2018; 265:1-6. [PMID: 29679792 PMCID: PMC6309172 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in empathy seen in schizophrenia are thought to play a major role in the social dysfunction seen in the disorder. However, little work has investigated potential determinants of empathic deficits. This study aimed to fill that gap by examining the effects of two variables on empathy - distress tolerance and metacognitive self-reflectivity. Fifty-four people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders receiving services at an urban VA or community mental health center were assessed for empathy, metacognition, and distress tolerance. Bivariate correlations and moderation methods were used to ascertain associations amongst these variables and examine interactions. Results revealed that, against hypotheses, empathy was not related at the bivariate level to either distress tolerance or metacognitive self-reflectivity. However, consistent with hypotheses, moderation analyses revealed that participants with higher self-reflectivity showed no relationship between distress tolerance and empathy, while those with lower self-reflectivity showed a relationship such that reduced ability to tolerate distress predicted reduced empathy. Taken together, results of this study suggest that lack of distress tolerance can negatively affect empathy in people with schizophrenia with lesser capacity for metacognitive self-reflection; thus, fostering self-reflectivity may help overcome that negative impact. Future work is needed investigating the impact of metacognitively-tailored interventions on empathy in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey A. Bonfils
- Psychology Department, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
| | - Kyle S. Minor
- Psychology Department, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
| | | | - Paul H. Lysaker
- Psychiatry Department, Indiana University School of Medicine,Psychiatry Department, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center,Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Paul H. Lysaker, Roudebush VA Medical Center 1481 West 10th St., Indianapolis. IN 46202.
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27
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Hiser J, Koenigs M. The Multifaceted Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Emotion, Decision Making, Social Cognition, and Psychopathology. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:638-647. [PMID: 29275839 PMCID: PMC5862740 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 500] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has been implicated in a variety of social, cognitive, and affective functions that are commonly disrupted in mental illness. In this review, we summarize data from a diverse array of human and animal studies demonstrating that the vmPFC is a key node of cortical and subcortical networks that subserve at least three broad domains of psychological function linked to psychopathology. One track of research indicates that the vmPFC is critical for the representation of reward- and value-based decision making, through interactions with the ventral striatum and amygdala. A second track of research demonstrates that the vmPFC is critical for the generation and regulation of negative emotion, through its interactions with the amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, periaqueductal gray, hippocampus, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. A third track of research shows the importance of the vmPFC in multiple aspects of social cognition, such as facial emotion recognition, theory-of-mind ability, and processing self-relevant information, through its interactions with the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, dorsomedial PFC, and amygdala. We then present meta-analytic data revealing distinct subregions within the vmPFC that correspond to each of these three functions, as well as the associations between these subregions and specific psychiatric disorders (depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, addiction, social anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). We conclude by describing several translational possibilities for clinical studies of vmPFC-based circuits, including neuropsychological assessment of transdiagnostic functions, anatomical targets for intervention, predictors of treatment response, markers of treatment efficacy, and subtyping within disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaryd Hiser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI,
USA,Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI,
USA
| | - Michael Koenigs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
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28
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Eddy CM. Social cognition and self-other distinctions in neuropsychiatry: Insights from schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 82:69-85. [PMID: 29195921 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in social cognition may reflect dysfunction of disorder specific or disorder general mechanisms. Although cross-disorder comparison may prove insightful, few studies have compared social cognition in different neuropsychiatric disorders. Parallel investigation of schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome (TS) is encouraged by similarities including the presence of problematic social behavior, echophenomena, emotional dysregulation and dopamine dysfunction. Focusing on tests of social cognition administered in both disorders, this review aims to summarize behavioral, neurophysiological and neuroimaging findings, before exploring how these may contribute to clinical symptoms. Studies investigating social cognition (imitation, emotion recognition, and understanding of beliefs or intentions) in patients with schizophrenia or TS were identified through Web of Science and PubMed searches. Although findings indicate that social cognitive deficits are more apparent in schizophrenia, adults with TS can exhibit similar task performance to patients with paranoia. In both disorders, behavioral and neuroimaging findings raise the possibility of increased internal simulation of others' actions and emotions, in combination with a relative under-application of mentalizing. More specifically, dysfunction in neurobiological substrates such as temporo-parietal junction and inferior frontal gyrus may underlie problems with self-other distinctions in both schizophrenia and TS. Difficulties in distinguishing between actions and mental states linked to the self and other may contribute to a range of psychiatric symptoms, including emotional dysregulation, paranoia, social anhedonia and socially disruptive urges. Comparing different patient populations could therefore reveal common neuro-cognitive risk factors for the development of problematic social behaviors, in addition to markers of resilience, coping strategies and potential neuro-compensation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare M Eddy
- BSMHFT National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham, and College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK.
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29
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A Developmental Perspective on Social-Cognition Difficulties in Youth at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis. Harv Rev Psychiatry 2018; 25:4-14. [PMID: 28059932 DOI: 10.1097/hrp.0000000000000125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
After participating in this activity, learners should be better able to:• Evaluate the evolution of social cognitive abilities as a developmental process• Assess the evidence regarding social cognition difficulties in youth at clinical high risk for psychosisIndividuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis exhibit a broad range of difficulties, including impaired social cognition, which may represent a target for early identification and intervention. Several studies have examined various domains of social cognition in CHR individuals. Most focus on adolescent and young adult populations, but given the accumulating evidence that impairment exists before the onset of psychotic disorders, it is critically important to begin to look for these risk markers in younger children. The present article reviews 25 studies on CHR that examine any of the following four domains of social cognition: emotion processing, theory of mind, social perception, or attribution bias. Eligible studies were identified through a comprehensive literature search, conducted using electronic databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE and PsycINFO, and combinations of key social-cognition and CHR search terms. Despite some mixed results, the existing literature establishes that CHR individuals display social-cognitive impairment, though it remains unclear as to how and when that impairment develops. Thus, by using the literature on social cognition in typically developing children as a model and reference, and by looking at the evolution of social-cognitive abilities as a developmental process, our review presents a valuable new perspective that indicates the necessity of further investigation in younger, at-risk populations. Implications for treatment and future research are discussed.
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30
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Javed A, Charles A. The Importance of Social Cognition in Improving Functional Outcomes in Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:157. [PMID: 29740360 PMCID: PMC5928350 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Social cognition has become recognized as an important driver of functional outcomes and overall recovery in patients with schizophrenia, mediating the relationship between neurocognition and social functioning. Since antipsychotic therapy targeting remission of clinical symptoms has been shown to have a limited impact on social cognition, there has been an increasing drive to develop therapeutic strategies to specifically improve social cognition in schizophrenia. We sought to review current evidence relating to social cognition in schizophrenia and its clinical implications, including interventions designed to target the core domains of social cognition (emotion processing, theory of mind, attributional bias, and social perception) as a means of improving functional outcomes and thereby increasing the likelihood of recovery. Relevant articles were identified by conducting a literature search in PubMed using the search terms "schizophrenia" AND "cognition" AND "social functioning," limited to Title/Abstract, over a time period of the past 10 years. Current evidence demonstrates that schizophrenia is associated with impairments in all four core domains of social cognition, during the pre-first-episode, first-episode, early, and chronic phases of the disease, and that such impairments are important determinants of functional outcome. Interventions targeting the four core domains of social cognition comprise psychosocial approaches (social cognition training programs) and pharmacological therapies. Social cognition training programs targeting multiple and specific core domains of social cognition have shown promise in improving social cognition skills, which, in some cases, has translated into improvements in functional outcomes. Use of some psychosocial interventions has additionally resulted in improvements in clinical symptoms and/or quality of life. Pharmacological therapies, including oxytocin and certain antipsychotics, have yielded more mixed results, due in part to the confounding impact of factors including variation in receptor genetics, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and drug-drug interactions, and inconsistencies between study designs and medication dosages. Additional research is required to advance our understanding of the role of social cognition in schizophrenia, and to further establish the utility of targeted interventions in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afzal Javed
- Jepson House, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Nuneaton, United Kingdom
| | - Asha Charles
- Caludon Centre, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Coventry, United Kingdom
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31
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Erdeniz B, Serin E, İbadi Y, Taş C. Decreased functional connectivity in schizophrenia: The relationship between social functioning, social cognition and graph theoretical network measures. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2017; 270:22-31. [PMID: 29017061 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex disorder in which abnormalities in brain connectivity and social functioning play a central role. The aim of this study is to explore small-world network properties, and understand their relationship with social functioning and social cognition in the context of schizophrenia, by testing functional connectivity differences in network properties and its relation to clinical behavioral measures. Resting-state fMRI time series data were acquired from 23 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 23 healthy volunteers. The results revealed that patients with schizophrenia show significantly decreased connectivity between a range of brain regions, particularly involving connections among the right orbitofrontal cortex, bilateral putamen and left amygdala. Furthermore, topological properties of functional brain networks in patients with schizophrenia were characterized by reduced path length compared to healthy controls; however, no significant difference was found for clustering coefficient, local efficiency or global efficiency. Additionally, we found that nodal efficiency of the amygdala and the putamen were significantly correlated with the independence-performance subscale of social functioning scale (SFC), and Reading the Mind in the Eyes test; however, the correlations do not survive correction for multiple comparison. The current results help to clarify the relationship between social functioning deficits and topological brain measures in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burak Erdeniz
- İzmir University of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, Turkey.
| | - Emin Serin
- Humboldt-Universitätzu Berlin, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin,Germany
| | - Yelda İbadi
- Üsküdar University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Cumhur Taş
- Üsküdar University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, İstanbul, Turkey
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32
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Labbé T, Ciampi E, Carcamo Rodríguez C. Social cognition: Concepts, neural basis and its role in multiple sclerosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ncn3.12164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomás Labbé
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neuroscience School of Medicine Pontifical Catholic University of ChileSantiago Chile
| | - Ethel Ciampi
- Neurology Department School of Medicine Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Santiago Chile
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33
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Ivleva EI, Clementz BA, Dutcher AM, Arnold SJ, Jeon-Slaughter H, Aslan S, Witte B, Poudyal G, Lu H, Meda SA, Pearlson GD, Sweeney JA, Keshavan MS, Tamminga CA. Brain Structure Biomarkers in the Psychosis Biotypes: Findings From the Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network for Intermediate Phenotypes. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 82:26-39. [PMID: 27817844 PMCID: PMC6501573 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current definitions of psychotic illness lack biological validity, motivating alternative biomarker-driven disease entities. Building on experimental constructs-Biotypes-that were previously developed from cognitive and neurophysiologic measures, we contrast brain anatomy characteristics across Biotypes alongside conventional diagnoses, examining gray matter density (GMD) as an independent validator for the Biotypes. METHODS Whole brain GMD measures were examined in probands, their relatives, and healthy subjects organized by Biotype and then by DSM-IV-TR diagnosis (n = 1409) using voxel-based morphometry with subsequent subject-level regional characterization and distribution analyses. RESULTS Probands grouped by Biotype versus healthy controls showed a stepwise pattern of GMD reductions as follows: Biotype1, extensive and diffusely distributed GMD loss, with the largest effects in frontal, anterior/middle cingulate cortex, and temporal regions; Biotype2, intermediate and more localized reductions, with the largest effects in insula and frontotemporal regions; and Biotype3, small reductions localized to anterior limbic regions. Relatives showed regionally distinct GMD reductions versus healthy controls, with primarily anterior (frontotemporal) effects in Biotype1; posterior (temporo-parieto-cerebellar) in Biotype2; and normal GMD in Biotype3. Schizophrenia and schizoaffective probands versus healthy controls showed overlapping GMD reductions, with the largest effects in frontotemporal and parietal regions; psychotic bipolar probands had small reductions, primarily in frontal regions. GMD changes in relatives followed regional patterns observed in probands, albeit less extensive. Biotypes showed stronger between-group separation based on GMD than the conventional diagnoses and were the strongest predictor of GMD change. CONCLUSIONS GMD biomarkers depicted unique brain structure characteristics within Biotypes, consistent with their cognitive and sensorimotor profiles, and provided stronger discrimination for biologically driven biotypes than symptom-based diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Sina Aslan
- Advance MRI, LLC, Frisco,University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas
| | - Bradley Witte
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | | | - Hanzhang Lu
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas,Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Godfrey D. Pearlson
- Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital, Hartford,Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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34
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García RR, Aliste F, Soto G. Social Cognition in Schizophrenia: Cognitive and Neurobiological Aspects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 47:170-176. [PMID: 30017040 DOI: 10.1016/j.rcp.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition in schizophrenia is currently one of the major fields of interest in studies of this disorder. It is commonly conceptualised as a set of mental operations underlying social interactions, and therefore related to the ability to interpret and predict the behaviour of others in different social contexts. The research community has defined the functional areas that constitute the domain of social cognition, including, at least, the theory of mind, sensory perception, social perception, and attributional bias. Different bodies of evidence have shown that alterations in these functions in patients with schizophrenia are linked to some of their main psychopathological dysfunctions, such as defects in sensory perception, insight and attributional origin, and authorship of human acts. These behavioural alterations have been linked to structural and functional disturbances in the constituents of the so-called social brain. This includes a set of medial parietal, temporal, and pre-frontal areas that have been associated with some anomalies in the theory of mind, the perception of emotions, and the ability to consider the perspective of others, phenomena commonly found in schizophrenia. Future research in the domain of social cognition should be aimed at clarifying its relationship with the social brain and neurocognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo R García
- Centro de Estudios Cognitivos y Departamento de Lingüística, Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Unidad de Psiquiatría Comunitaria, Hospital Padre Hurtado, Servicio Metropolitano de Salud Suroriente, San Ramón, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Aliste
- Unidad de Psiquiatría Comunitaria, Hospital Padre Hurtado, Servicio Metropolitano de Salud Suroriente, San Ramón, Santiago, Chile
| | - Guillermo Soto
- Centro de Estudios Cognitivos y Departamento de Lingüística, Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Patil I, Calò M, Fornasier F, Young L, Silani G. Neuroanatomical correlates of forgiving unintentional harms. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45967. [PMID: 28382935 PMCID: PMC5382676 DOI: 10.1038/srep45967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mature moral judgments rely on the consideration of a perpetrator’s mental state as well as harmfulness of the outcomes produced. Prior work has focused primarily on the functional correlates of how intent information is neurally represented for moral judgments, but few studies have investigated whether individual differences in neuroanatomy can also explain variation in moral judgments. In the current study, we conducted voxel-based morphometry analyses to address this question. We found that local grey matter volume in the left anterior superior temporal sulcus, a region in the functionally defined theory of mind or mentalizing network, was associated with the degree to which participants relied on information about innocent intentions to forgive accidental harms. Our findings provide further support for the key role of mentalizing in the forgiveness of accidental harms and contribute preliminary evidence for the neuroanatomical basis of individual differences in moral judgments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrajeet Patil
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Neuroscience Sector, Trieste, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Liane Young
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Boston, USA
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement and Intervention, University of Vienna, Austria
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Fox JM, Abram SV, Reilly JL, Eack S, Goldman MB, Csernansky JG, Wang L, Smith MJ. Default mode functional connectivity is associated with social functioning in schizophrenia. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 126:392-405. [PMID: 28358526 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with schizophrenia display notable deficits in social functioning. Research indicates that neural connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) is related to social cognition and social functioning in healthy and clinical populations. However, the association between DMN connectivity, social cognition, and social functioning has not been studied in schizophrenia. For the present study, the authors used resting-state neuroimaging data to evaluate connectivity between the main DMN hubs (i.e., the medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC] and the posterior cingulate cortex-anterior precuneus [PPC]) in individuals with schizophrenia (n = 28) and controls (n = 32). The authors also examined whether DMN connectivity was associated with social functioning via social attainment (measured by the Specific Levels of Functioning Scale) and social competence (measured by the Social Skills Performance Assessment), and if social cognition mediates the association between DMN connectivity and these measures of social functioning. Results revealed that DMN connectivity did not differ between individuals with schizophrenia and controls. However, connectivity between the mPFC and PCC hubs was significantly associated with social competence and social attainment in individuals with schizophrenia but not in controls as reflected by a significant group-by-connectivity interaction. Social cognition did not mediate the association between DMN connectivity and social functioning in individuals with schizophrenia. The findings suggest that fronto-parietal DMN connectivity in particular may be differentially associated with social functioning in schizophrenia and controls. As a result, DMN connectivity may be used as a neuroimaging marker to monitor treatment response or as a potential target for interventions that aim to enhance social functioning in schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M Fox
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
| | | | - James L Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
| | - Shaun Eack
- School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh
| | - Morris B Goldman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
| | - John G Csernansky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
| | - Matthew J Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
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Bonfils KA, Lysaker PH, Minor KS, Salyers MP. Empathy in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Psychiatry Res 2017; 249:293-303. [PMID: 28142103 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2016] [Revised: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is a complex construct, thought to contain multiple components. One popular measurement paradigm, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), has been used extensively to measure empathic tendencies in schizophrenia research across four domains: empathic concern, perspective-taking, personal distress, and fantasy. However, no recent meta-analysis has been conducted for all four factors of this scale. The goal of this meta-analysis was to examine self-reported empathic tendencies for each factor of the IRI in people with schizophrenia as compared to healthy controls. A literature search revealed 32 eligible schizophrenia studies. The Hedges' g standardized difference effect size was calculated for each component using a random effects meta-analytic model. Compared to healthy controls, schizophrenia samples reported significantly reduced tendencies for empathic concern, perspective-taking, and fantasy, but significantly greater tendencies for personal distress. Duration of illness significantly moderated the results for perspective-taking such that those with a longer duration exhibited greater deficits; percent female significantly moderated the results for personal distress such that samples with more females exhibited reduced effect sizes. Future work is needed to examine the impact of heightened personal distress on the empathic tendencies and abilities of those with schizophrenia, including the possible role of emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey A Bonfils
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 N. Blackford St., Indianapolis, IN, United States.
| | - Paul H Lysaker
- Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, Roudebush VA Medical Center, 1481 W. 10th St., Indianapolis, IN, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 340 W. 10th St., Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Kyle S Minor
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 N. Blackford St., Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Michelle P Salyers
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 N. Blackford St., Indianapolis, IN, United States
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Abstract
We hypothesized that distinct acute right hemisphere lesions disrupt separate components of valuation and emotional response to winning and losing money and of emotional empathy in observing a partner win or lose money. We measured skin conductance response (SCR) and ratings of emotions when acute right hemisphere stroke patients or healthy controls won or lost money in roulette, or when they watched a partner win or lose. Our results showed that percentage of damage after stroke to right anterior insula and frontal operculum negatively correlated with both SCR to winning and losing and difference between rating wins versus losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Hye Kim
- a Departments of Neurology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Jui-Hong Chien
- b Departments of Neurosurgery , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Chang-Chia Liu
- b Departments of Neurosurgery , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Kumiko Oishi
- c Whiting School of Engineering , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Kenichi Oishi
- d Departments of Radiology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Rajani Sebastian
- a Departments of Neurology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Cornelia Demsky
- a Departments of Neurology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Frederick Lenz
- b Departments of Neurosurgery , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Argye E Hillis
- a Departments of Neurology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA.,e Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA.,f Department of Cognitive Science , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD , USA
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Klindt D, Devaine M, Daunizeau J. Does the way we read others' mind change over the lifespan? Insights from a massive web poll of cognitive skills from childhood to late adulthood. Cortex 2017; 86:205-215. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Hennion S, Delbeuck X, Koelkebeck K, Brion M, Tyvaert L, Plomhause L, Derambure P, Lopes R, Szurhaj W. A functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation of theory of mind impairments in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Neuropsychologia 2016; 93:271-279. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Affective empathy in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis. Schizophr Res 2016; 175:109-117. [PMID: 27094715 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Affective empathy, or the emotional response one has to the experiences or emotional states of others, contributes to relationship-maintaining behaviors and is key in fostering social connections, yet no work has synthesized the body of literature for people with schizophrenia. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to determine the extent to which those diagnosed with schizophrenia experience deficits in affective empathy. METHODS A literature search was conducted of studies examining empathy. Data were analyzed using a random effects meta-analytic model with Hedges' g standardized mean difference effect size. RESULTS Individuals with schizophrenia exhibited significant, medium deficits in affective empathy (k=37). Measurement type moderated the affective empathy deficit such that performance-based measures showed larger schizophrenia group deficits than self-report measures. CONCLUSION Consistent, significant deficits in affective empathy were found comparing people with schizophrenia to healthy controls, especially when using performance-based assessments. The medium effect suggests an important role for empathy in the realm of social cognitive research, and points to the need for further investigation of measurement techniques and associations with functional outcomes.
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Culbreth AJ, Westbrook A, Daw ND, Botvinick M, Barch DM. Reduced model-based decision-making in schizophrenia. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 125:777-787. [PMID: 27175984 PMCID: PMC4980177 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with schizophrenia have a diminished ability to use reward history to adaptively guide behavior. However, tasks traditionally used to assess such deficits often rely on multiple cognitive and neural processes, leaving etiology unresolved. In the current study, we adopted recent computational formalisms of reinforcement learning to distinguish between model-based and model-free decision-making in hopes of specifying mechanisms associated with reinforcement-learning dysfunction in schizophrenia. Under this framework, decision-making is model-free to the extent that it relies solely on prior reward history, and model-based if it relies on prospective information such as motivational state, future consequences, and the likelihood of obtaining various outcomes. Model-based and model-free decision-making was assessed in 33 schizophrenia patients and 30 controls using a 2-stage 2-alternative forced choice task previously demonstrated to discern individual differences in reliance on the 2 forms of reinforcement-learning. We show that, compared with controls, schizophrenia patients demonstrate decreased reliance on model-based decision-making. Further, parameter estimates of model-based behavior correlate positively with IQ and working memory measures, suggesting that model-based deficits seen in schizophrenia may be partially explained by higher-order cognitive deficits. These findings demonstrate specific reinforcement-learning and decision-making deficits and thereby provide valuable insights for understanding disordered behavior in schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Culbreth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis
| | - Andrew Westbrook
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis
| | - Nathaniel D. Daw
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University
| | - Matthew Botvinick
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis
- Department of Psychiatry & Radiology, Washington University in Saint Louis
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Maat A, van Haren NEM, Bartholomeusz CF, Kahn RS, Cahn W. Emotion recognition and theory of mind are related to gray matter volume of the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 26:255-264. [PMID: 26711688 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Investigations of social cognition in schizophrenia have demonstrated consistent impairments compared to healthy controls. Functional imaging studies in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls have revealed that social cognitive processing depends critically on the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, the relationship between social cognition and structural brain abnormalities in these regions in schizophrenia patients is less well understood. Measures of facial emotion recognition and theory of mind (ToM), two key social cognitive abilities, as well as face perception and IQ, were assessed in 166 patients with schizophrenia and 134 healthy controls. MRI brain scans were acquired. Automated parcellation of the brain to determine gray matter volume of the amygdala and the superior, middle, inferior and orbital PFC was performed. Between-group analyses showed poorer recognition of angry faces and ToM performance, and decreased amygdala and PFC gray matter volumes in schizophrenia patients as compared to healthy controls. Moreover, in schizophrenia patients, recognition of angry faces was associated with inferior PFC gray matter volume, particularly the pars triangularis (p=0.006), with poor performance being related to reduced pars triangularis gray matter volume. In addition, ToM ability was related to PFC gray matter volume, particularly middle PFC (p=0.001), in that poor ToM skills in schizophrenia patients were associated with reduced middle PFC gray matter volume. In conclusion, reduced PFC, but not amygdala, gray matter volume is associated with social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arija Maat
- Department of Psychiatry, Waterland Ziekenhuis, Waterlandlaan 250, 1441 RN Purmerend, The Netherlands
| | - Neeltje E M van Haren
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht - Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Huispostnummer A 00.241, Postbus 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cali F Bartholomeusz
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Center, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, 161 Barry Street, Carlton South, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - René S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht - Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Huispostnummer A 00.241, Postbus 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wiepke Cahn
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht - Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Huispostnummer A 00.241, Postbus 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Li J, Dong M, Ren A, Ren J, Zhang J, Huang L. Structural attributes of the temporal lobe predict face recognition ability in youth. Neuropsychologia 2016; 84:1-6. [PMID: 26802942 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The face recognition ability varies across individuals. However, it remains elusive how brain anatomical structure is related to the face recognition ability in healthy subjects. In this study, we adopted voxel-based morphometry analysis and machine learning approach to investigate the neural basis of individual face recognition ability using anatomical magnetic resonance imaging. We demonstrated that the gray matter volume (GMV) of the right ventral anterior temporal lobe (vATL), an area sensitive to face identity, is significant positively correlated with the subject's face recognition ability which was measured by the Cambridge face memory test (CFMT) score. Furthermore, the predictive model established by the balanced cross-validation combined with linear regression method revealed that the right vATL GMV can predict subjects' face ability. However, the subjects' Cambridge face memory test scores cannot be predicted by the GMV of the face processing network core brain regions including the right occipital face area (OFA) and the right face fusion area (FFA). Our results suggest that the right vATL may play an important role in face recognition and might provide insight into the neural mechanisms underlying face recognition deficits in patients with pathophysiological conditions such as prosopagnosia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China
| | - Minghao Dong
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China
| | - Aifeng Ren
- School of Electronic Engineering, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China
| | - Junchan Ren
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China
| | - Jinsong Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.
| | - Liyu Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China.
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Lewandowski KE, Whitton AE, Pizzagalli DA, Norris LA, Ongur D, Hall MH. Reward Learning, Neurocognition, Social Cognition, and Symptomatology in Psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:100. [PMID: 27378952 PMCID: PMC4906007 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with psychosis spectrum disorders exhibit deficits in social and neurocognition, as well as hallmark abnormalities in motivation and reward processing. Aspects of reward processing may overlap behaviorally and neurobiologically with some elements of cognitive functioning, and abnormalities in these processes may share partially overlapping etiologies in patients. However, whether reward processing and cognition are associated across the psychoses and linked to state and trait clinical symptomatology is unclear. METHOD The present study examined associations between cognitive functioning, reward learning, and clinical symptomatology in a cross-diagnostic sample. Patients with schizophrenia (SZ; n = 37), bipolar I disorder with psychosis (BD; n = 42), and healthy controls (n = 29) were assessed for clinical symptoms (patients only), neurocognitive functioning using the MATRICS Battery (MCCB) and reward learning using the probabilistic reward task (PRT). Groups were compared on neurocognition and PRT response bias, and associations between PRT response bias and neurocognition or clinical symptoms were examined controlling for demographic variables and PRT task difficulty (discriminability). RESULTS Patients with SZ performed worse than controls on most measures of neurocognition; patients with BD exhibited deficits in some domains between the level of patients with SZ and controls. The SZ - but not BD - group exhibited deficits in social cognition compared to controls. Patients and controls did not differ on PRT response bias, but did differ on PRT discriminability. Better response bias across the sample was associated with poorer social cognition, but not neurocognition; conversely, discriminability was associated with neurocognition but not social cognition. Symptoms of psychosis, particularly negative symptoms, were associated with poorer response bias across patient groups. DISCUSSION Reward learning was associated with symptoms of psychosis - in particular negative symptoms - across diagnoses, and was predictive of worse social cognition. Reward learning was not associated with neurocognitive performance, suggesting that, across patient groups, social cognition but not neurocognition may share common pathways with this aspect of reinforcement learning. Better understanding of how cognitive dysfunction and reward processing deficits relate to one another, to other key symptom dimensions (e.g., psychosis), and to diagnostic categories, may help clarify shared etiological pathways and guide efforts toward targeted treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Lewandowski
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexis E Whitton
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Diego A Pizzagalli
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Lesley A Norris
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital , Belmont, MA , USA
| | - Dost Ongur
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mei-Hua Hall
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Abstract
Failure to recognize sarcasm can lead to important miscommunications. Few previous studies have identified brain lesions associated with impaired recognition of sarcasm. We tested the hypothesis that percent damage to specific white matter tracts, age, and education together predict accuracy in sarcasm recognition. Using multivariable linear regression, with age, education, and percent damage to each of eight white matter tracts as independent variables, and percent accuracy on sarcasm recognition as the dependent variable, we developed a model for predicting sarcasm recognition. Percent damage to the sagittal stratum had the greatest weight and was the only independent predictor of sarcasm recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron L Davis
- a Departments of Neurology , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD 21287 , USA
| | - Kenichi Oishi
- b Radiology , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD 21287 , USA
| | - Andreia V Faria
- b Radiology , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD 21287 , USA
| | - John Hsu
- b Radiology , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD 21287 , USA
| | - Yessenia Gomez
- a Departments of Neurology , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD 21287 , USA
| | - Susumu Mori
- b Radiology , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD 21287 , USA
| | - Argye E Hillis
- a Departments of Neurology , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD 21287 , USA.,c Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD 21287 , USA.,d Department of Cognitive Science , Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD 21287 , USA
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Dodell-Feder D, Felix S, Yung MG, Hooker CI. Theory-of-mind-related neural activity for one's romantic partner predicts partner well-being. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2015; 11:593-603. [PMID: 26609107 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthy social relationships are linked to myriad positive physical and mental health outcomes, raising the question of how to enhance relationship formation and quality. Behavioral data suggest that theory of mind (ToM) may be one such process. ToM is supported by a network of brain regions including the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), medial prefrontal cortex and precuneus (PC). However, little research has investigated how the ToM network supports healthy social relationships. Here, we investigate whether recruitment of the ToM network when thinking about the mental states of one's romantic partner predicts the partner's well-being. We find that selectivity in left TPJ (LTPJ) and PC for beliefs vs physical attributes of one's partner is positively associated with partner well-being the day of and day after a meaningful encounter. Furthermore, LTPJ and PC selectivity moderated how the partner's perception of being understood during the encounter affected their later well-being. Finally, we find the association between ToM-related neural selectivity and well-being robust to other factors related to the relationship and the encounter. Together, these data suggest that selective engagement of the neural network supporting ToM may be a key ingredient for the development and maintenance of healthy romantic relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven Felix
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA and
| | - Matthew G Yung
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA and
| | - Christine I Hooker
- Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Billeke P, Armijo A, Castillo D, López T, Zamorano F, Cosmelli D, Aboitiz F. Paradoxical Expectation: Oscillatory Brain Activity Reveals Social Interaction Impairment in Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:421-31. [PMID: 25861703 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with schizophrenia show social impairments that are related to functional outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that social interaction impairments in people with schizophrenia are related to alterations in the predictions of others' behavior and explored their underlying neurobiological mechanisms. METHODS Electroencephalography was performed in 20 patients with schizophrenia and 25 well-matched control subjects. Participants played as proposers in the repeated version of the Ultimatum Game believing that they were playing with another human or with a computer. The power of oscillatory brain activity was obtained by means of the wavelet transform. We performed a trial-by-trial correlation between the oscillatory activity and the risk of the offer. RESULTS Control subjects adapted their offers when playing with computers and tended to maintain their offers when playing with humans, as such revealing learning and bargaining strategies, respectively. People with schizophrenia presented the opposite pattern of behavior in both games. During the anticipation of others' responses, the power of alpha oscillations correlated with the risk of the offers made, in a different way in both games. Patients with schizophrenia presented a greater correlation in computer games than in human games; control subjects showed the opposite pattern. The alpha activity correlated with positive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal an alteration in social interaction in patients with schizophrenia that is related to oscillatory brain activity, suggesting maladjustment of expectation when patients face social and nonsocial agents. This alteration is related to psychotic symptoms and could guide further therapies for improving social functioning in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Billeke
- Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile; Laboratorio de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, and Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Alejandra Armijo
- Instituto Psiquiátrico Dr. Horwitz Barak, Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Norte, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniel Castillo
- Instituto Psiquiátrico Dr. Horwitz Barak, Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Norte, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tamara López
- Instituto Psiquiátrico Dr. Horwitz Barak, Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Norte, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Zamorano
- Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile; Laboratorio de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, and Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience, Santiago, Chile
| | - Diego Cosmelli
- Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
| | - Francisco Aboitiz
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, and Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience, Santiago, Chile
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Wang Y, Liu WH, Li Z, Wei XH, Jiang XQ, Neumann DL, Shum DHK, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK. Dimensional schizotypy and social cognition: an fMRI imaging study. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:133. [PMID: 26074796 PMCID: PMC4444828 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairment in empathy has been demonstrated in patients with schizophrenia and individuals with psychosis proneness. In the present study, we examined the neural correlates underlying theory of mind (ToM) and empathy and the relationships between these two social cognitive abilities with schizotypy. Fifty-six first-year college students (31 males, 25 females) between 17 and 21 years of age (M = 19.3, SD = 0.9) from a medical university in China participated. All participants undertook a comic strips functional imaging task that specifically examined both empathy and ToM. In addition, they completed two self-report scales: the Chapman Psychosis Proneness scale and the Interpersonal Responsivity Index (IRI). Results showed that both empathy and ToM conditions of the task were associated with brain activity in the middle temporal gyrus, the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), the precuneus and the posterior cingulate gyrus. In addition, we found positive correlations between negative schizotypy and brain activity in regions involved in social cognition, namely, the middle temporal gyrus, the TPJ, as well as the medial prefrontal gyrus. These findings highlight that different dimensions of schizotypy may show different associations with brain regions involved in social cognitive abilities. More importantly, the positive correlation between brain activity and anhedonia suggests the presence of compensatory mechanisms in high-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Hua Liu
- School of Health Management, Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Hua Wei
- Department of Radiology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Qing Jiang
- Department of Radiology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital Guangzhou, China
| | - David L Neumann
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - David H K Shum
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
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