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Harduf A, Panishev G, Harel EV, Stern Y, Salomon R. The bodily self from psychosis to psychedelics. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21209. [PMID: 38040825 PMCID: PMC10692325 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47600-z] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The sense of self is a foundational element of neurotypical human consciousness. We normally experience the world as embodied agents, with the unified sensation of our selfhood being nested in our body. Critically, the sense of self can be altered in psychiatric conditions such as psychosis and altered states of consciousness induced by psychedelic compounds. The similarity of phenomenological effects across psychosis and psychedelic experiences has given rise to the "psychotomimetic" theory suggesting that psychedelics simulate psychosis-like states. Moreover, psychedelic-induced changes in the sense of self have been related to reported improvements in mental health. Here we investigated the bodily self in psychedelic, psychiatric, and control populations. Using the Moving Rubber Hand Illusion, we tested (N = 75) patients with psychosis, participants with a history of substantial psychedelic experiences, and control participants to see how psychedelic and psychiatric experience impacts the bodily self. Results revealed that psychosis patients had reduced Body Ownership and Sense of Agency during volitional action. The psychedelic group reported subjective long-lasting changes to the sense of self, but no differences between control and psychedelic participants were found. Our results suggest that while psychedelics induce both acute and enduring subjective changes in the sense of self, these are not manifested at the level of the bodily self. Furthermore, our data show that bodily self-processing, related to volitional action, is disrupted in psychosis patients. We discuss these findings in relation to anomalous self-processing across psychedelic and psychotic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Harduf
- The Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- The Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Gabriella Panishev
- The Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Eiran V Harel
- Beer Yaakov-Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Beer Yaakov, Israel
| | - Yonatan Stern
- The Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| | - Roy Salomon
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
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2
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Sanders AFP, Hobbs DA, Knaus TA, Beaton EA. Structural Connectivity and Emotion Recognition Impairment in Children and Adolescents with Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4021-4034. [PMID: 35917023 PMCID: PMC10898588 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05675-z] [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] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) exhibit impaired ability to process and understand emotions in others. We measured structural connectivity in children and adolescents with 22q11.2DS (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 29). Compared to controls, those with 22q11.2DS had poorer social skills and more difficulty recognizing facial emotions. Children with 22q11.2DS also had higher fractional anisotropic diffusion in right amygdala to fusiform gyrus white matter pathways. Right amygdala to fusiform gyrus fractional anisotropy values partially mediated the relationship between 22q11.2DS and social skills, as well as the relationship between 22q11.2DS and emotion recognition accuracy. These findings provide insight into the neural origins of social skills deficits seen in 22q11.2DS and may serve as a biomarker for risk of future psychiatric problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley F P Sanders
- Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Diana A Hobbs
- Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tracey A Knaus
- Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
| | - Elliott A Beaton
- Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA.
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3
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Development of the neural correlates of self- and other-referential processing across adolescence. Neuroimage 2022; 252:119032. [PMID: 35218931 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
During adolescence, major changes in brain mechanisms take place and differentiated representations of both the self and of others are developed. Although studies have investigated the neural mechanisms of self- and other-referential processing in adolescents, the development of these mechanisms remain largely unaddressed. Here, we report a three-year longitudinal study with annual measurements, and investigate the developmental trajectories of activity and connectivity underlying self- and other-referential processes in 34 participants from early to mid-adolescence (mean age timepoints 1, 2, 3= 12.9, 13.9, 15.0 years). Moreover, we probe whether these correlates continue to develop from mid-adolescence to young adulthood by comparing neural correlates of the adolescents at the last measurement to an independent group of 42 young adults (mean age 22 years). Participants underwent functional MRI while performing a trait judgement task in which they indicated whether an adjective described themselves, a similar or a dissimilar peer. Brain activity within the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dMPFC) and right temporal parietal junction (TPJ) showed a quadratic change from early to mid-adolescence, with a peak in activity at the second measurement when evaluating the self, the similar and dissimilar peer. No differential activity was observed when comparing the adolescents to young adults. Functional connectivity did not change from early to mid-adolescence, however, connectivity of the dMPFC with a posterior midline region during self- and other-referential processing relative to the control condition reduced from mid-adolescence to young adulthood. Together, these findings provide insight in the developmental trajectories of brain activity and connectivity underlying the development of the self-concept and representations of peers in adolescence.
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Salomon R, Kannape OA, Debarba HG, Kaliuzhna M, Schneider M, Faivre N, Eliez S, Blanke O. Agency Deficits in a Human Genetic Model of Schizophrenia: Insights From 22q11DS Patients. Schizophr Bull 2021; 48:495-504. [PMID: 34935960 PMCID: PMC8886583 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling mental illness characterized by a disordered sense of self. Current theories suggest that deficiencies in the sense of control over one's actions (Sense of Agency, SoA) may underlie some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. However, it is not clear if agency deficits are a precursor or a result of psychosis. Here, we investigated full body agency using virtual reality in a cohort of 22q11 deletion syndrome participants with a genetic propensity for schizophrenia. In two experiments employing virtual reality, full body motion tracking, and online feedback, we investigated SoA in two separate domains. Our results show that participants with 22q11DS had a considerable deficit in monitoring their actions, compared to age-matched controls in both the temporal and spatial domain. This was coupled with a bias toward erroneous attribution of actions to the self. These results indicate that nonpsychotic 22q11DS participants have a domain general deficit in the conscious sensorimotor mechanisms underlying the bodily self. Our data reveal an abnormality in the SoA in a cohort with a genetic predisposition for schizophrenia, but without psychosis, providing evidence that deficits in delineation of the self may be a precursor rather than a result of the psychotic state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Salomon
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University (BIU), Ramat-Gan, Israel,Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Alan Kannape
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Henrique Galvan Debarba
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland,Department of Digital Design, IT University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark,Immersive Interaction Group, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mariia Kaliuzhna
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland,Clinical and Experimental Psychopathology Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maude Schneider
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Clinical Psychology Unit for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nathan Faivre
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland,Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olaf Blanke
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Chemin des Mines 9, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland; tel: +41 21 693 96 21, e-mail:
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5
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van Buuren M, Walsh RJ, Sijtsma H, Hollarek M, Lee NC, Bos PA, Krabbendam L. Neural correlates of self- and other-referential processing in young adolescents and the effects of testosterone and peer similarity. Neuroimage 2020; 219:117060. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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6
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Hudson A, Wilson MJG, Green ES, Itier RJ, Henderson HA. Are you as important as me? Self-other discrimination within trait-adjective processing. Brain Cogn 2020; 142:105569. [PMID: 32388193 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Healthy adults typically display enhanced processing for self- (relative to other-) relevant and positive (relative to negative) information. However, it is unclear whether these two biases interact to form a self-positivity bias, whereby self-positive information receives prioritized processing. It is also unclear how a blocked versus mixed referent design impacts reference and valence processing. We addressed these questions using behavioral and electrophysiological indices across two studies using a Self-Referential Encoding Task, followed by surprise recall and recognition tasks. Early (P1) and late (LPP) event-related potentials were time-locked to a series of trait adjectives, encoded relative to oneself or a fictional character, with referent presented in a blocked (Exp. 1) or mixed (Exp. 2) trial design. Regardless of study design, participants recalled and recognized more self- than other-relevant adjectives, and recognized more positive than negative adjectives. Additionally, participants demonstrated larger LPP amplitudes for self-relevant and positive adjectives. The LPP self-relevance effect emerged earlier and persisted longer in the blocked (400-800 ms) versus mixed design (600-800 ms). The LPP valence effect was not apparent in the blocked design, but appeared late in the mixed design (600-1200 ms). Critically, the interaction between self-relevance and valence appeared only behaviorally in the mixed design, suggesting that overall self-relevance and valence independently impact neural socio-cognitive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Hudson
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada
| | | | - Emma S Green
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada
| | - Roxane J Itier
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada
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7
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Golde S, Romund L, Lorenz RC, Pelz P, Gleich T, Beck A, Raufelder D. Loneliness and Adolescents' Neural Processing of Self, Friends, and Teachers: Consequences for the School Self-Concept. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2019; 29:938-952. [PMID: 30019816 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The present interdisciplinary study explored whether perceived loneliness is associated with ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) activation during self- and social judgments (friends and teachers) in adolescents. Moreover, we examined how vMPFC activity is related to the academic self-concept (ASC). Results of manifest path analysis indicated that high perceived loneliness was related to lower neural response to self-judgments. In turn, high neural response to self-judgments was positively associated with the ASC, whereas there was a trendwise negative association between high neural response to teacher-related judgments and ASC. This study reveals associations between perceived loneliness and neural processing of the self, underlining the idea that feeling isolated from others may hinder self-insight and, by extension, the formation of a stable academic self-concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Golde
- Charité - Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Berlin Institute of Health
| | - Lydia Romund
- Charité - Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Berlin Institute of Health
| | | | - Patricia Pelz
- Charité - Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Berlin Institute of Health
| | - Tobias Gleich
- Charité - Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Berlin Institute of Health
| | - Anne Beck
- Charité - Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Berlin Institute of Health
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8
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Systematic review and multi-modal meta-analysis of magnetic resonance imaging findings in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: Is more evidence needed? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:143-153. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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9
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Larsen KM, Dzafic I, Siebner HR, Garrido MI. Alteration of functional brain architecture in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome – Insights into susceptibility for psychosis. Neuroimage 2019; 190:154-171. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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10
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Sandini C, Scariati E, Padula MC, Schneider M, Schaer M, Van De Ville D, Eliez S. Cortical Dysconnectivity Measured by Structural Covariance Is Associated With the Presence of Psychotic Symptoms in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 3:433-442. [PMID: 29735153 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is the third-largest known genetic risk factor for the development of psychosis. Dysconnectivity has consistently been implicated in the physiopathology of psychosis. Structural covariance of cortical morphology is a method of exploring connectivity among brain regions that to date has not been employed in 22q11DS. METHODS In the present study we employed structural covariance of cortical thickness to explore connectivity alterations in a group of 108 patients with 22q11DS compared with 96 control subjects. We subsequently divided patients into two subgroups of 31 subjects each according to the presence of attenuated psychotic symptoms. FreeSurfer software was used to obtain the mean cortical thickness in 148 brain regions from T1-weighted 3T images. For each population we reconstructed a brain graph using Pearson correlation between the average thickness of each couple of brain regions, which we characterized in terms of mean correlation strength and in terms of network architecture using graph theory. RESULTS Patients with 22q11DS presented increased mean correlation strength, but there was no difference in global architecture compared with control subjects. However, symptomatic patients presented increased mean correlation strength coupled with increased segregation and decreased integration compared with both control subjects and nonsymptomatic patients. They also presented increased centrality for a cluster of anterior cingulate and dorsomedial prefrontal regions. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm the importance of cortical dysconnectivity in the physiopathology of psychosis. Moreover they support the significance of aberrant anterior cingulate connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrado Sandini
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland.
| | - Elisa Scariati
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland
| | - Maria Carmela Padula
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland
| | - Maude Schneider
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland; Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Research Group Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marie Schaer
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland; Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland; Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland
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11
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Psychotic symptoms influence the development of anterior cingulate BOLD variability in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Schizophr Res 2018; 193:319-328. [PMID: 28803847 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with a broad phenotype of clinical, cognitive and psychiatric features. Due to the very high prevalence of schizophrenia (30-40%), the investigation of psychotic symptoms in the syndrome is promising to reveal biomarkers for the development of psychosis, also in the general population. Since schizophrenia is seen as a disorder of the dynamic interactions between brain networks, we here investigated brain dynamics, assessed by the variability of blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signals, in patients with psychotic symptoms. We included 28 patients with 22q11DS presenting higher positive psychotic symptoms, 29 patients with lower positive psychotic symptoms and 69 healthy controls between 10 and 30years old. To overcome limitations of mass-univariate approaches, we employed multivariate analysis, namely partial least squares correlation, combined with proper statistical testing, to analyze resting-state BOLD signal variability and its age-relationship in patients with positive psychotic symptoms. Our results revealed a missing positive age-relationship in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in patients with higher positive psychotic symptoms, leading to globally lower variability in the dACC in those patients. Patients without positive psychotic symptoms and healthy controls had the same developmental trajectory in this region. Alterations of brain structure and function in the ACC have been previously reported in 22q11DS and linked to psychotic symptoms. The present results support the implication of this region in the development of psychotic symptoms and suggest aberrant BOLD signal variability development as a potential biomarker for psychosis.
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12
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Abstract
Recent large-scale genomic studies have confirmed that schizophrenia is a polygenic syndrome and have implicated a number of biological pathways in its aetiology. Both common variants individually of small effect and rarer but more penetrant genetic variants have been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of the disorder. No simple Mendelian forms of the condition have been identified, but progress has been made in stratifying risk on the basis of the polygenic burden of common variants individually of small effect, and the contribution of rarer variants of larger effect such as Copy Number Variants (CNVs). Pathway analysis of risk-associated variants has begun to identify specific biological processes implicated in risk for the disorder, including elements of the glutamatergic NMDA receptor complex and post synaptic density, voltage-gated calcium channels, targets of the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP targets) and immune pathways. Genetic studies have also been used to drive genomic imaging approaches to the investigation of brain markers associated with risk for the disorder. Genomic imaging approaches have been applied both to investigate the effect of polygenic risk and to study the impact of individual higher-penetrance variants such as CNVs. Both genomic and genomic imaging approaches offer potential for the stratification of patients and at-risk groups and the development of better biomarkers of risk and treatment response; however, further research is needed to integrate this work and realise the full potential of these approaches.
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13
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Romund L, Golde S, Lorenz RC, Raufelder D, Pelz P, Gleich T, Heinz A, Beck A. Neural correlates of the self-concept in adolescence-A focus on the significance of friends. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 38:987-996. [PMID: 27726253 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The formation of a coherent and unified self-concept represents a key developmental stage during adolescence. Imaging studies on self-referential processing in adolescents are rare, and it is not clear whether neural structures involved in self-reflection are also involved in reflections of familiar others. In the current study, 41 adolescents were asked to make judgments about trait adjectives during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): they had to indicate whether the word describes themselves, their friends, their teachers or politicians. Findings indicate a greater overlap in neural networks for responses to self- and friend-related judgments compared to teachers and politicians. In particular, classic self-reference structures such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and medial posterior parietal cortex also exhibited higher activation to judgments about friends. In contrast, brain responses towards judgments of teachers (familiar others) compared to politicians (unfamiliar others) did not significantly differ. Results support behavioral findings of a greater relevance of friends for the development of a self-concept during adolescence and indicate underlying functional brain processes. Hum Brain Mapp 38:987-996, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Romund
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabrina Golde
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert C Lorenz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Patricia Pelz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Gleich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Beck
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
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14
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Fan W, Zhong Y, Li J, Yang Z, Zhan Y, Cai R, Fu X. Negative Emotion Weakens the Degree of Self-Reference Effect: Evidence from ERPs. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1408. [PMID: 27733836 PMCID: PMC5039173 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the influence of negative emotion on the degree of self-reference effect using event-related potentials (ERPs). We presented emotional pictures and self-referential stimuli (stimuli that accelerate and improve processing and improve memory of information related to an individual’s self-concept) in sequence. Participants judged the color of the target stimulus (self-referential stimuli). ERP results showed that the target stimuli elicited larger P2 amplitudes under neutral conditions than under negative emotional conditions. Under neutral conditions, N2 amplitudes for highly self-relevant names (target stimulus) were smaller than those for any other names. Under negative emotional conditions, highly and moderately self-referential stimuli activated smaller N2 amplitudes. P3 amplitudes activated by self-referential processing under negative emotional conditions were smaller than neutral conditions. In the left and central sites, highly self-relevant names activated larger P3 amplitudes than any other names. But in the central sites, moderately self-relevant names activated larger P3 amplitudes than non-self-relevant names. The findings indicate that negative emotional processing could weaken the degree of self-reference effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Fan
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal UniversityChangsha, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology (CAS)Beijing, China
| | - Yiping Zhong
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University Changsha, China
| | - Jin Li
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University Changsha, China
| | - Zilu Yang
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University Changsha, China
| | - Youlong Zhan
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University Changsha, China
| | - Ronghua Cai
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University Changsha, China
| | - Xiaolan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology (CAS) Beijing, China
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15
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Scariati E, Schaer M, Karahanoglu I, Schneider M, Richiardi J, Debbané M, Van De Ville D, Eliez S. Large-scale functional network reorganization in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome revealed by modularity analysis. Cortex 2016; 82:86-99. [PMID: 27371790 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is associated with cognitive impairments and a 41% risk of developing schizophrenia. While several studies performed on patients with 22q11DS showed the presence of abnormal functional connectivity in this syndrome, how these alterations affect large-scale network organization is still unknown. Here we performed a network modularity analysis on whole-brain functional connectomes derived from the resting-state fMRI of 40 patients with 22q11DS and 41 healthy control participants, aged between 9 and 30 years old. We then split the sample at 18 years old to obtain two age subgroups and repeated the modularity analyses. We found alterations of modular communities affecting the visuo-spatial network and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in both age groups. These results corroborate previous structural and functional studies in 22q11DS that showed early impairment of visuo-spatial processing regions. Furthermore, as ACC has been linked to the development of psychotic symptoms in 22q11DS, the early impairment of its functional connectivity provide further support that ACC alterations may provide potential biomarkers for an increased risk of schizophrenia. Finally, we found an abnormal modularity partition of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) only in adults with 22q11DS, suggesting the presence of an abnormal development of functional network communities during adolescence in 22q11DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Scariati
- Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva 8, Switzerland.
| | - Marie Schaer
- Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Isik Karahanoglu
- Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva 8, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA; Medical Image Processing Lab, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maude Schneider
- Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva 8, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Richiardi
- Laboratory for Neurology and imaging of Cognition, Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Martin Debbané
- Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva 8, Switzerland; Adolescence Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Medical Image Processing Lab, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva 8, Switzerland; Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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16
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Scariati E, Padula MC, Schaer M, Eliez S. Long-range dysconnectivity in frontal and midline structures is associated to psychosis in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2016; 123:823-39. [PMID: 27094177 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-016-1548-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Patients affected by 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) present a characteristic cognitive and psychiatric profile and have a genetic predisposition to develop schizophrenia. Although brain morphological alterations have been shown in the syndrome, they do not entirely account for the complex clinical picture of the patients with 22q11DS and for their high risk of psychotic symptoms. Since Friston proposed the "disconnection hypothesis" in 1998, schizophrenia is commonly considered as a disorder of brain connectivity. In this study, we review existing evidence pointing to altered brain structural and functional connectivity in 22q11DS, with a specific focus on the role of dysconnectivity in the emergence of psychotic symptoms. We show that widespread alterations of structural and functional connectivity have been described in association with 22q11DS. Moreover, alterations involving long-range association tracts as well as midline structures, such as the corpus callosum and the cingulate gyrus, have been associated with psychotic symptoms in this population. These results suggest common mechanisms for schizophrenia in syndromic and non-syndromic populations. Future directions for investigations are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Scariati
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211, Genève 8, Switzerland.
| | - M C Padula
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211, Genève 8, Switzerland.
| | - M Schaer
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211, Genève 8, Switzerland.,Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - S Eliez
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211, Genève 8, Switzerland.,Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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17
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Dégeilh F, Guillery-Girard B, Dayan J, Gaubert M, Chételat G, Egler PJ, Baleyte JM, Eustache F, Viard A. Neural Correlates of Self and Its Interaction With Memory in Healthy Adolescents. Child Dev 2015; 86:1966-83. [PMID: 26443236 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is marked by the development of personal identity and is associated with structural and functional changes in brain regions associated with Self processing. Yet, little is known about the neural correlates of self-reference processing and self-reference effect in adolescents. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study consists of a self-reference paradigm followed by a recognition test proposed to 30 healthy adolescents aged 13-18 years old. Results showed that the rostral anterior cingulate cortex is specifically involved in self-reference processing and that this specialization develops gradually from 13 to 18 years old. The self-reference effect is associated with increased brain activation changes during encoding, suggesting that the beneficial effect of Self on memory may occur at encoding of self-referential information, rather than at retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Dégeilh
- Inserm and Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.,École Pratique des Hautes Études.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire
| | - Bérengère Guillery-Girard
- Inserm and Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.,École Pratique des Hautes Études.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire
| | - Jacques Dayan
- Inserm and Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.,École Pratique des Hautes Études.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire.,CHU de Caen, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent.,Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent
| | - Malo Gaubert
- Inserm and Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.,École Pratique des Hautes Études.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire
| | - Gaël Chételat
- Inserm and Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.,École Pratique des Hautes Études.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire.,CHU de Caen, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent
| | - Pierre-Jean Egler
- Inserm and Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.,École Pratique des Hautes Études.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire
| | - Jean-Marc Baleyte
- Inserm and Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.,École Pratique des Hautes Études.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire.,CHU de Caen, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent
| | - Francis Eustache
- Inserm and Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.,École Pratique des Hautes Études.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire
| | - Armelle Viard
- Inserm and Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.,École Pratique des Hautes Études.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire
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18
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Scariati E, Schaer M, Richiardi J, Schneider M, Debbané M, Van De Ville D, Eliez S. Identifying 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome and Psychosis Using Resting-State Connectivity Patterns. Brain Topogr 2014; 27:808-21. [DOI: 10.1007/s10548-014-0356-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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19
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Debbané M, Vrtička P, Lazouret M, Badoud D, Sander D, Eliez S. Self-reflection and positive schizotypy in the adolescent brain. Schizophr Res 2014; 152:65-72. [PMID: 23819895 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Revised: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Clinical and phenomenological accounts of schizophrenia suggest that impairments in self-reflective processes significantly contribute to psychopathological expression. Recent imaging studies observe atypical cerebral activation patterns during self-reflection, especially around the cortical midline structures, both in psychosis-prone adults and individuals with schizophrenia. Given that self-reflection processes consolidate during adolescence, and that early transient expression of psychosis (positive schizotypy) also arises during this period, the present study sought to examine whether atypical cerebral activation during self-reflection task could be associated with early schizotypic expression during adolescence. Forty-two neurotypical adolescent participants (19 females) aged from 12 to 19 (15.92±1.9) underwent a self-reflection task using functional neuroimaging (fMRI), where they had to evaluate trait adjectives (1 to 4 ratings) about themselves or their same sex best friend. The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) was employed to assess positive schizotypic expression. Results showed that positive schizotypy in adolescents significantly correlated with cortical midline activation patterns in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), as well as the dorsolateral PFC and the lingual gyrus. The results are consistent with previous imaging literature on self-reflection and schizophrenia. They further highlight that the relationship between self-reflection processes and positive schizotypy operates at the trait level of expression and can be observed as early as adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Debbané
- Adolescence Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland.
| | - Pascal Vrtička
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Laboratory for the study of Emotion Elicitation and Expression, Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, USA
| | - Marine Lazouret
- Adolescence Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland
| | - Deborah Badoud
- Adolescence Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland
| | - David Sander
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Laboratory for the study of Emotion Elicitation and Expression, Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland; Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland
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20
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D'Argembeau A. On the role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in self-processing: the valuation hypothesis. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:372. [PMID: 23847521 PMCID: PMC3707083 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 06/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With the development of functional neuroimaging, important progress has been made in identifying the brain regions involved in self-related processing. One of the most consistent findings has been that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) is activated when people contemplate various aspects of themselves and their life, such their traits, experiences, preferences, abilities, and goals. Recent evidence suggests that this region may not support the act of self-reflection per se, but its precise function in self-processing remains unclear. In this article, I examine the hypothesis that the vMPFC may contribute to assign personal value or significance to self-related contents: stimuli and mental representations that refer or relate to the self tend to be assigned unique value or significance, and the function of the vMPFC may precisely be to evaluate or represent such significance. Although relatively few studies to date have directly tested this hypothesis, several lines of evidence converge to suggest that vMPFC activity during self-processing depends on the personal significance of self-related contents. First, increasing psychological distance from self-representations leads to decreased activation in the vMPFC. Second, the magnitude of vMPFC activation increases linearly with the personal importance attributed to self-representations. Third, the activity of the vMPFC is modulated by individual differences in the interest placed on self-reflection. Finally, the evidence shows that the vMPFC responds to outer aspects of self that have high personal value, such as possessions and close others. By assigning personal value to self-related contents, the vMPFC may play an important role in the construction, stabilization, and modification of self-representations, and ultimately in guiding our choices and decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud D'Argembeau
- Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior, University of Liège , Liège , Belgium ; Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège , Liège , Belgium
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21
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Dahoun T, Eliez S, Chen F, Badoud D, Schneider M, Larøi F, Debbane M. Action simulation in hallucination-prone adolescents. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:329. [PMID: 23847502 PMCID: PMC3701149 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Theoretical and empirical accounts suggest that impairments in self-other discrimination processes are likely to promote the expression of hallucinations. Studies using a variety of paradigms involving self-performed actions argue in favor of perspective taking confusion in hallucination-prone subjects. However, our understanding of such processes during adolescence is still at an early stage. The present study thus aims (1) to delineate the neural correlates sustaining mental simulation of actions involving self-performed actions (first-person perspective; 1PP) and other-performed actions (third-person perspective; 3PP) during adolescence (2) to identify atypical activation patterns during 1PP/3PP mental simulation of actions in hallucination-prone adolescents (3) to examine whether differential risk for schizophrenia (clinical vs. genetic) is also associated with differential impairments in the 1PP/3PP mental simulation of actions during adolescence. Twenty-two typically developing controls (Control group; 6 females), 12 hallucination-prone adolescents [auditory hallucination (AH) group; 7 females] and 13 adolescents with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS group; 4 females) were included in the study. During the fMRI task, subjects were presented with a cue (self-other priming cues) indicating to perform the task using either a first person perspective (“you”-1PP) or a third person perspective (“best friend”-3PP) and then they were asked to mentally simulate actions based on the type of cue. Hallucination-proneness was assessed using a self-report questionnaire [Cardiff Anomalous Perception Scale (CAPS)]. Our results indicated that atypical patterns of cerebral activation, particularly in the key areas of self-other distinction, were found in both groups at risk for auditory hallucinations (AHs and 22q11.2DS). More precisely, adolescents in the AH group presented decreased activations in the right middle occipital gyrus BA19, left cingulate gyrus BA31, and right precuneus BA31 for the 3PP > 1PP contrast. Adolescents in the 22q11.2DS group presented decreased activations in the right superior occipital gyrus BA19, left caudate tail and left precuneus BA7 for the 3PP > 1PP contrast. In comparison to the Control group, only the 22q11.2DS adolescents showed a decreased activation for other-related cues (prime other > prime self contrast) in areas of visual imagery, episodic memory and social cognition. This study characterizes the neural correlates of mental imagery for actions during adolescence, and suggests that a differential risk for hallucination-proneness (clinical vs. genetic) is associated to similar patterns of atypical activations in key areas sustaining self-other discrimination processes. These observations may provide relevant information for future research and prevention strategies with regards to hallucination-proneness during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarik Dahoun
- Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine Geneva, Switzerland
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22
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D'Argembeau A. On the role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in self-processing: the valuation hypothesis. Front Hum Neurosci 2013. [PMID: 23847521 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00372/abstract] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
With the development of functional neuroimaging, important progress has been made in identifying the brain regions involved in self-related processing. One of the most consistent findings has been that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) is activated when people contemplate various aspects of themselves and their life, such their traits, experiences, preferences, abilities, and goals. Recent evidence suggests that this region may not support the act of self-reflection per se, but its precise function in self-processing remains unclear. In this article, I examine the hypothesis that the vMPFC may contribute to assign personal value or significance to self-related contents: stimuli and mental representations that refer or relate to the self tend to be assigned unique value or significance, and the function of the vMPFC may precisely be to evaluate or represent such significance. Although relatively few studies to date have directly tested this hypothesis, several lines of evidence converge to suggest that vMPFC activity during self-processing depends on the personal significance of self-related contents. First, increasing psychological distance from self-representations leads to decreased activation in the vMPFC. Second, the magnitude of vMPFC activation increases linearly with the personal importance attributed to self-representations. Third, the activity of the vMPFC is modulated by individual differences in the interest placed on self-reflection. Finally, the evidence shows that the vMPFC responds to outer aspects of self that have high personal value, such as possessions and close others. By assigning personal value to self-related contents, the vMPFC may play an important role in the construction, stabilization, and modification of self-representations, and ultimately in guiding our choices and decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud D'Argembeau
- Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior, University of Liège , Liège , Belgium ; Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège , Liège , Belgium
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23
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Goldin P, Ziv M, Jazaieri H, Gross JJ. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction versus aerobic exercise: effects on the self-referential brain network in social anxiety disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2012; 6:295. [PMID: 23133411 PMCID: PMC3488800 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by distorted self-views. The goal of this study was to examine whether mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) alters behavioral and brain measures of negative and positive self-views. Methods: Fifty-six adult patients with generalized SAD were randomly assigned to MBSR or a comparison aerobic exercise (AE) program. A self-referential encoding task was administered at baseline and post-intervention to examine changes in behavioral and neural responses in the self-referential brain network during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Patients were cued to decide whether positive and negative social trait adjectives were self-descriptive or in upper case font. Results: Behaviorally, compared to AE, MBSR produced greater decreases in negative self-views, and equivalent increases in positive self-views. Neurally, during negative self versus case, compared to AE, MBSR led to increased brain responses in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). There were no differential changes for positive self versus case. Secondary analyses showed that changes in endorsement of negative and positive self-views were associated with decreased social anxiety symptom severity for MBSR, but not AE. Additionally, MBSR-related increases in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) activity during negative self-view versus case were associated with decreased social anxiety related disability and increased mindfulness. Analysis of neural temporal dynamics revealed MBSR-related changes in the timing of neural responses in the DMPFC and PCC for negative self-view versus case. Conclusion: These findings suggest that MBSR attenuates maladaptive habitual self-views by facilitating automatic (i.e., uninstructed) recruitment of cognitive and attention regulation neural networks. This highlights potentially important links between self-referential and cognitive-attention regulation systems and suggests that MBSR may enhance more adaptive social self-referential processes in patients with SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Goldin
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA
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