1
|
Lehet M, Rolfs M, Bao J, Fattal J, Thakkar KN. Pre-saccadic shifts of attention in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3466. [PMID: 38450916 PMCID: PMC10918725 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pathophysiological theories of schizophrenia (SZ) symptoms posit an abnormality in using predictions to guide behavior. One such prediction is based on imminent movements, via corollary discharge signals (CD) that relay information about planned movement kinematics to sensory brain regions. Empirical evidence suggests a reduced influence of sensorimotor predictions in individuals with SZ within multiple sensory systems, including in the visual system. One function of CD in the visual system is to selectively enhance visual sensitivity at the location of planned eye movements (pre-saccadic attention), thus enabling a prediction of the to-be-foveated stimulus. We expected pre-saccadic attention shifts to be less pronounced in individuals with SZ than in healthy controls (HC), resulting in unexpected sensory consequences of eye movements, which may relate to symptoms than can be explained in the context of altered allocation of attention. METHODS We examined this question by testing 30 SZ and 30 HC on a pre-saccadic attention task. On each trial participants made a saccade to a cued location in an array of four stimuli. A discrimination target that was either congruent or incongruent with the cued location was briefly presented after the cue, during saccade preparation. Pre-saccadic attention was quantified by comparing accuracy on congruent trials to incongruent trials within the interval preceding the saccade. RESULTS Although SZs were less accurate overall, the magnitude of the pre-saccadic attention effect generally did not differ across groups nor show a convincing relationship with symptom severity. We did, however, observe that SZ had reduced pre-saccadic attention effects when the discrimination target (probe) was presented at early stages of saccade planning, when pre-saccadic attention effects first emerged in HC. CONCLUSION These findings suggest generally intact pre-saccadic shifts of attention in SZ, albeit slightly delayed. Results contribute to our understanding of altered sensory predictions in people with schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Lehet
- Department of PsychologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Martin Rolfs
- Department of PsychologyHumboldt UniversityBerlinGermany
| | - Jacqueline Bao
- Department of PsychologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Jessica Fattal
- Department of PsychologyNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
| | - Katharine N. Thakkar
- Department of PsychologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
- Psychiatry and Behavioral MedicineMichigan State University College of Human MedicineEast LansingMichiganUSA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Calancie OG, Parr AC, Brien DC, Huang J, Pitigoi IC, Coe BC, Booij L, Khalid-Khan S, Munoz DP. Motor synchronization and impulsivity in pediatric borderline personality disorder with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: an eye-tracking study of saccade, blink and pupil behavior. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1179765. [PMID: 37425020 PMCID: PMC10323365 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1179765] [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] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Shifting motor actions from reflexively reacting to an environmental stimulus to predicting it allows for smooth synchronization of behavior with the outside world. This shift relies on the identification of patterns within the stimulus - knowing when a stimulus is predictable and when it is not - and launching motor actions accordingly. Failure to identify predictable stimuli results in movement delays whereas failure to recognize unpredictable stimuli results in early movements with incomplete information that can result in errors. Here we used a metronome task, combined with video-based eye-tracking, to quantify temporal predictive learning and performance to regularly paced visual targets at 5 different interstimulus intervals (ISIs). We compared these results to the random task where the timing of the target was randomized at each target step. We completed these tasks in female pediatric psychiatry patients (age range: 11-18 years) with borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms, with (n = 22) and without (n = 23) a comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, against controls (n = 35). Compared to controls, BPD and ADHD/BPD cohorts showed no differences in their predictive saccade performance to metronome targets, however, when targets were random ADHD/BPD participants made significantly more anticipatory saccades (i.e., guesses of target arrival). The ADHD/BPD group also significantly increased their blink rate and pupil size when initiating movements to predictable versus unpredictable targets, likely a reflection of increased neural effort for motor synchronization. BPD and ADHD/BPD groups showed increased sympathetic tone evidenced by larger pupil sizes than controls. Together, these results support normal temporal motor prediction in BPD with and without ADHD, reduced response inhibition in BPD with comorbid ADHD, and increased pupil sizes in BPD patients. Further these results emphasize the importance of controlling for comorbid ADHD when querying BPD pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia G. Calancie
- Queen’s Eye Movement Lab, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Ashley C. Parr
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Don C. Brien
- Queen’s Eye Movement Lab, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Jeff Huang
- Queen’s Eye Movement Lab, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Isabell C. Pitigoi
- Queen’s Eye Movement Lab, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Brian C. Coe
- Queen’s Eye Movement Lab, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Linda Booij
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Centre and Eating Disorders Continuum, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sarosh Khalid-Khan
- Queen’s Eye Movement Lab, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Divison of Child and Youth Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas P. Munoz
- Queen’s Eye Movement Lab, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Haigh SM, Berryhill ME, Kilgore-Gomez A, Dodd M. Working memory and sensory memory in subclinical high schizotypy: An avenue for understanding schizophrenia? Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:1577-1596. [PMID: 36895099 PMCID: PMC10178355 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
The search for robust, reliable biomarkers of schizophrenia remains a high priority in psychiatry. Biomarkers are valuable because they can reveal the underlying mechanisms of symptoms and monitor treatment progress and may predict future risk of developing schizophrenia. Despite the existence of various promising biomarkers that relate to symptoms across the schizophrenia spectrum, and despite published recommendations encouraging multivariate metrics, they are rarely investigated simultaneously within the same individuals. In those with schizophrenia, the magnitude of purported biomarkers is complicated by comorbid diagnoses, medications and other treatments. Here, we argue three points. First, we reiterate the importance of assessing multiple biomarkers simultaneously. Second, we argue that investigating biomarkers in those with schizophrenia-related traits (schizotypy) in the general population can accelerate progress in understanding the mechanisms of schizophrenia. We focus on biomarkers of sensory and working memory in schizophrenia and their smaller effects in individuals with nonclinical schizotypy. Third, we note irregularities across research domains leading to the current situation in which there is a preponderance of data on auditory sensory memory and visual working memory, but markedly less in visual (iconic) memory and auditory working memory, particularly when focusing on schizotypy where data are either scarce or inconsistent. Together, this review highlights opportunities for researchers without access to clinical populations to address gaps in knowledge. We conclude by highlighting the theory that early sensory memory deficits contribute negatively to working memory and vice versa. This presents a mechanistic perspective where biomarkers may interact with one another and impact schizophrenia-related symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Haigh
- Department of Psychology, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Programs in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Neuroscience, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Marian E. Berryhill
- Department of Psychology, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Programs in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Neuroscience, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Alexandrea Kilgore-Gomez
- Department of Psychology, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Programs in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Neuroscience, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Michael Dodd
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fares R, Rabil JM, Haddad C, Helwe S, Khalil J, Kasrine Al Halabi C, Abi Antoun T, Haddad G, Hallit S. Religious hallucinations in Lebanese patients with schizophrenia and their association with religious coping. BMC Res Notes 2023; 16:27. [PMID: 36864497 PMCID: PMC9983149 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-023-06296-0] [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] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE to evaluate the relationship between religious hallucinations and religious coping among Lebanese patients with schizophrenia. METHODS We have studied the prevalence of religious hallucinations (RH) among 148 hospitalized Lebanese patients suffering from schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in November 2021 exhibiting religious delusions (RD), and their relationship with religious coping using the brief Religious Coping Scale (RCOPE). The PANSS scale was used to evaluate psychotic symptoms. RESULTS After adjustment over all variables, more psychotic symptoms (higher total PANSS scores) (aOR = 1.02) and more religious negative coping (aOR = 1.11) were significantly associated with higher odds of having religious hallucinations, whereas watching religious programs (aOR = 0.34) was significantly associated with lower odds of having religious hallucinations. CONCLUSION This paper highlights the important role of religiosity that has to play in the formation of religious hallucinations in schizophrenia. Significant association was found between negative religious coping and the emergence of religious hallucinations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rabih Fares
- grid.444434.70000 0001 2106 3658School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Jean-Marc Rabil
- grid.444434.70000 0001 2106 3658School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Chadia Haddad
- grid.512933.f0000 0004 0451 7867Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon ,grid.444428.a0000 0004 0508 3124School of Health Sciences, Modern University of Business and Science, Beirut, Lebanon ,INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie- Liban), Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Sami Helwe
- grid.444434.70000 0001 2106 3658School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Joe Khalil
- grid.444434.70000 0001 2106 3658School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Carina Kasrine Al Halabi
- grid.444434.70000 0001 2106 3658School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Tiffany Abi Antoun
- grid.444434.70000 0001 2106 3658School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Georges Haddad
- grid.444434.70000 0001 2106 3658School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon ,grid.512933.f0000 0004 0451 7867Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon
| | - Souheil Hallit
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon. .,Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon. .,Applied Science Research Center, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Giersch A, Laprévote V. Perceptual Functioning. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 63:79-113. [PMID: 36306053 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Perceptual disorders are not part of the diagnosis criteria for schizophrenia. Yet, a considerable amount of work has been conducted, especially on visual perception abnormalities, and there is little doubt that visual perception is altered in patients. There are several reasons why such perturbations are of interest in this pathology. They are observed during the prodromal phase of psychosis, they are related to the pathophysiology (clinical disorganization, disorders of the sense of self), and they are associated with neuronal connectivity disorders. Perturbations occur at different levels of processing and likely affect how patients interact and adapt to their surroundings. The literature has become very large, and here we try to summarize different models that have guided the exploration of perception in patients. We also illustrate several lines of research by showing how perception has been investigated and by discussing the interpretation of the results. In addition to discussing domains such as contrast sensitivity, masking, and visual grouping, we develop more recent fields like processing at the level of the retina, and the timing of perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Giersch
- University of Strasbourg, INSERM U1114, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Vincent Laprévote
- University of Strasbourg, INSERM U1114, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- CLIP Centre de Liaison et d'Intervention Précoce, Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy, Laxou, France
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yao B, Rolfs M, McLaughlin C, Isenstein EL, Guillory SB, Grosman H, Kashy DA, Foss-Feig JH, Thakkar KN. Oculomotor corollary discharge signaling is related to repetitive behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder. J Vis 2021; 21:9. [PMID: 34351395 PMCID: PMC8354038 DOI: 10.1167/jov.21.8.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Corollary discharge (CD) signals are "copies" of motor signals sent to sensory regions that allow animals to adjust sensory consequences of self-generated actions. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by sensory and motor deficits, which may be underpinned by altered CD signaling. We evaluated oculomotor CD using the blanking task, which measures the influence of saccades on visual perception, in 30 children with ASD and 35 typically developing (TD) children. Participants were instructed to make a saccade to a visual target. Upon saccade initiation, the presaccadic target disappeared and reappeared to the left or right of the original position. Participants indicated the direction of the jump. With intact CD, participants can make accurate perceptual judgements. Otherwise, participants may use saccade landing site as a proxy of the presaccadic target and use it to inform perception. We used multilevel modeling to examine the influence of saccade landing site on trans-saccadic perceptual judgements. We found that, compared with TD participants, children with ASD were more sensitive to target displacement and less reliant on saccade landing site when spatial uncertainty of the post-saccadic target was high. This pattern was driven by ASD participants with less severe restricted and repetitive behaviors. These results suggest a relationship between altered CD signaling and core ASD symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beier Yao
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Martin Rolfs
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher McLaughlin
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily L Isenstein
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Sylvia B Guillory
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah Grosman
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Deborah A Kashy
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jennifer H Foss-Feig
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katharine N Thakkar
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Donati FL, Fecchio M, Maestri D, Cornali M, Derchi CC, Casetta C, Zalaffi M, Sinigaglia C, Sarasso S, D'Agostino A. Reduced readiness potential and post-movement beta synchronization reflect self-disorders in early course schizophrenia. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15044. [PMID: 34294767 PMCID: PMC8298598 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94356-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Disturbances of conscious awareness, or self-disorders, are a defining feature of schizophrenia. These include symptoms such as delusions of control, i.e. the belief that one's actions are controlled by an external agent. Models of self-disorders point at altered neural mechanisms of source monitoring, i.e. the ability of the brain to discriminate self-generated stimuli from those driven by the environment. However, evidence supporting this putative relationship is currently lacking. We performed electroencephalography (EEG) during self-paced, brisk right fist closures in ten (M = 9; F = 1) patients with Early-Course Schizophrenia (ECSCZ) and age and gender-matched healthy volunteers. We measured the Readiness Potential (RP), i.e. an EEG feature preceding self-generated movements, and movement-related EEG spectral changes. Self-disorders in ECSCZ were assessed with the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience (EASE). Patients showed a markedly reduced RP and altered post-movement Event-Related Synchronization (ERS) in the beta frequency band (14-24 Hz) compared to healthy controls. Importantly, smaller RP and weaker ERS were associated with higher EASE scores in ECSCZ. Our data suggest that disturbances of neural correlates preceding and following self-initiated movements may reflect the severity of self-disorders in patients suffering from ECSCZ. These findings point towards deficits in basic mechanisms of sensorimotor integration as a substrate for self-disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Luciano Donati
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Ospedale San Paolo, Blocco A, Piano 9. Via Antonio di Rudinì, 8, 20142, Milan, MI, Italy.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Matteo Fecchio
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Padiglione 'LITA', Piano 5, Via Gian Battista Grassi, 74, 20157, Milan, MI, Italy
- Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Davide Maestri
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Ospedale San Paolo, Blocco A, Piano 9. Via Antonio di Rudinì, 8, 20142, Milan, MI, Italy
| | - Mattia Cornali
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Ospedale San Paolo, Blocco A, Piano 9. Via Antonio di Rudinì, 8, 20142, Milan, MI, Italy
| | | | - Cecilia Casetta
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- National Psychosis Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Maristella Zalaffi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Padiglione 'LITA', Piano 5, Via Gian Battista Grassi, 74, 20157, Milan, MI, Italy
| | | | - Simone Sarasso
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Padiglione 'LITA', Piano 5, Via Gian Battista Grassi, 74, 20157, Milan, MI, Italy.
| | - Armando D'Agostino
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Ospedale San Paolo, Blocco A, Piano 9. Via Antonio di Rudinì, 8, 20142, Milan, MI, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
About 40% of schizophrenia patients report discrete visual disturbances which could occur if saccadic suppression, the decrease of visual sensitivity around saccade onset, is impaired. Two mechanisms contribute to saccadic suppression: efference copy processing and backwards masking. Both are reportedly altered in schizophrenia. However, saccadic suppression has not been investigated in schizophrenia. 17 schizophrenia patients and 18 healthy controls performed a saccadic suppression task using a Gabor stimulus with individually adjusted contrast, which was presented within an interval 300 ms around saccade onset. Visual disturbance scores were higher in patients than controls, but saccadic suppression strength and time course were similar in both groups with lower saccadic suppression rates being similarly related to smaller saccade amplitudes. Saccade amplitudes in the saccadic suppression task were reduced in patients, in contrast to unaltered amplitudes during a saccade control task. Notably, smaller saccade amplitudes were related to higher visual disturbances scores in patients. Saccadic suppression performance was unrelated to symptom expression and antipsychotic medication. Unaltered saccadic suppression in patients suggests sufficiently intact efference copy processing and backward masking as required for this task. Instead, visual disturbances in patients may be related to restricted saccadic amplitudes arising from cognitive load while completing a task.
Collapse
|
9
|
Giersch A, Huard T, Park S, Rosen C. The Strasbourg Visual Scale: A Novel Method to Assess Visual Hallucinations. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:685018. [PMID: 34177666 PMCID: PMC8219930 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.685018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The experience of oneself in the world is based on sensory afferences, enabling us to reach a first-perspective perception of our environment and to differentiate oneself from the world. Visual hallucinations may arise from a difficulty in differentiating one's own mental imagery from externally-induced perceptions. To specify the relationship between hallucinations and the disorders of the self, we need to understand the mechanisms of hallucinations. However, visual hallucinations are often under reported in individuals with psychosis, who sometimes appear to experience difficulties describing them. We developed the "Strasbourg Visual Scale (SVS)," a novel computerized tool that allows us to explore and capture the subjective experience of visual hallucinations by circumventing the difficulties associated with verbal descriptions. This scale reconstructs the hallucinated image of the participants by presenting distinct physical properties of visual information, step-by-step to help them communicate their internal experience. The strategy that underlies the SVS is to present a sequence of images to the participants whose choice at each step provides a feedback toward re-creating the internal image held by them. The SVS displays simple images on a computer screen that provide choices for the participants. Each step focuses on one physical property of an image, and the successive choices made by the participants help them to progressively build an image close to his/her hallucination, similar to the tools commonly used to generate facial composites. The SVS was constructed based on our knowledge of the visual pathways leading to an integrated perception of our environment. We discuss the rationale for the successive steps of the scale, and to which extent it could complement existing scales.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Giersch
- University of Strasbourg, INSERM U1114, Strasbourg, France.,Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Thomas Huard
- University of Strasbourg, INSERM U1114, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sohee Park
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Cherise Rosen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Leptourgos P, Corlett PR. Embodied Predictions, Agency, and Psychosis. Front Big Data 2020; 3:27. [PMID: 33693400 PMCID: PMC7931869 DOI: 10.3389/fdata.2020.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychotic symptoms, i.e., hallucinations and delusions, involve gross departures from conscious apprehension of consensual reality; respectively, perceiving and believing things that, according to same culture peers, do not obtain. In schizophrenia, those experiences are often related to abnormal sense of control over one's own actions, often expressed as a distorted sense of agency (i.e., passivity symptoms). Cognitive and computational neuroscience have furnished an account of these experiences and beliefs in terms of the brain's generative model of the world, which underwrites inferences to the best explanation of current and future states, in order to behave adaptively. Inference then involves a reliability-based trade off of predictions and prediction errors, and psychotic symptoms may arise as departures from this inference process, either an over- or under-weighting of priors relative to prediction errors. Surprisingly, there is empirical evidence in favor of both positions. Relatedly, there is evidence for both an enhanced and a diminished sense of agency in schizophrenia. How can this be? We argue that there is more than one generative model in the brain, and that ego- and allo-centric models operate in tandem. In brief, ego-centric models implement corollary discharge signals that cancel out the effects of self-generated actions while allo-centric models compare several hypothesis regarding the causes of sensory inputs (including the self among the potential causes). The two parallel hierarchies give rise to different levels of agency, with ego-centric models subserving "feelings of agency" and allo-centric predictions giving rise to "judgements of agency." Those two components are weighted according to their reliability and combined, generating a higher-level "sense of agency." We suggest that in schizophrenia a failure of corollary discharges to suppress self-generated inputs results in the absence of a "feeling of agency" and in a compensatory enhancement of allo-centric priors, which might underlie hallucinations, delusions of control but also, under certain circumstances, the enhancement of "judgments of agency." We discuss the consequences of such a model, and potential courses of action that could lead to its falsification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Philip R. Corlett
- Department of Psychiatry, Connecticut Mental Health Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ford JM, Mathalon DH. Efference Copy, Corollary Discharge, Predictive Coding, and Psychosis. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 4:764-767. [PMID: 31495399 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Judith M Ford
- Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System and the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System and the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Frith CD. Can a Problem With Corollary Discharge Explain the Symptoms of Schizophrenia? BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 4:768-769. [PMID: 31495400 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Frith
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging at University College London and the Institute of Philosophy, Institute of Advanced Study, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Timbie C, García-Cabezas MÁ, Zikopoulos B, Barbas H. Organization of primate amygdalar-thalamic pathways for emotions. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000639. [PMID: 32106269 PMCID: PMC7064256 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on the thalamus have mostly focused on sensory relay nuclei, but the organization of pathways associated with emotions is not well understood. We addressed this issue by testing the hypothesis that the primate amygdala acts, in part, like a sensory structure for the affective import of stimuli and conveys this information to the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus, magnocellular part (MDmc). We found that primate sensory cortices innervate amygdalar sites that project to the MDmc, which projects to the orbitofrontal cortex. As in sensory thalamic systems, large amygdalar terminals innervated excitatory relay and inhibitory neurons in the MDmc that facilitate faithful transmission to the cortex. The amygdala, however, uniquely innervated a few MDmc neurons by surrounding and isolating large segments of their proximal dendrites, as revealed by three-dimensional high-resolution reconstruction. Physiologic studies have shown that large axon terminals are found in pathways issued from motor systems that innervate other brain centers to help distinguish self-initiated from other movements. By analogy, the amygdalar pathway to the MDmc may convey signals forwarded to the orbitofrontal cortex to monitor and update the status of the environment in processes deranged in schizophrenia, resulting in attribution of thoughts and actions to external sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Timbie
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Neural Systems Lab, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Miguel Á. García-Cabezas
- Neural Systems Lab, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Basilis Zikopoulos
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Human Systems Neuroscience Lab, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Helen Barbas
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Neural Systems Lab, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Brower R, Wang HR, Bansal S, Joiner WM. Using Corollary Discharge and Predictive Coding to Understand False Sensations and Beliefs. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:770-772. [PMID: 31495401 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rylee Brower
- Departments of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Haley R Wang
- Departments of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sonia Bansal
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Wilsaan M Joiner
- Departments of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Subramanian D, Alers A, Sommer MA. Corollary Discharge for Action and Cognition. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:782-790. [PMID: 31351985 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In motor systems, a copy of the movement command known as corollary discharge is broadcast to other regions of the brain to warn them of the impending movement. The premise of this review is that the concept of corollary discharge may generalize in revealing ways to the brain's cognitive systems. An oculomotor pathway from the brain stem to frontal cortex provides a well-established example of how corollary discharge is instantiated for sensorimotor processing. Building on causal evidence from inactivation of the pathway, we motivate forward models as a tool for understanding the contributions of corollary discharge to perception and movement. Finally, we extend the definition of corollary discharge to account for signals that may be used for cognitive forward models of decision making. This framework may provide new insights into signals and circuits that contribute to sequential decision processes, the breakdown of which may account for some symptoms of psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Divya Subramanian
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Anthony Alers
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Marc A Sommer
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
| |
Collapse
|