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Dong D, Wang Y, Zhou F, Chang X, Qiu J, Feng T, He Q, Lei X, Chen H. Functional Connectome Hierarchy in Schizotypy and Its Associations With Expression of Schizophrenia-Related Genes. Schizophr Bull 2023:sbad179. [PMID: 38156676 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Schizotypy has been conceptualized as a continuum of symptoms with marked genetic, neurobiological, and sensory-cognitive overlaps to schizophrenia. Hierarchical organization represents a general organizing principle for both the cortical connectome supporting sensation-to-cognition continuum and gene expression variability across the cortex. However, a mapping of connectome hierarchy to schizotypy remains to be established. Importantly, the underlying changes of the cortical connectome hierarchy that mechanistically link gene expressions to schizotypy are unclear. STUDY DESIGN The present study applied novel connectome gradient on resting-state fMRI data from 1013 healthy young adults to investigate schizotypy-associated sensorimotor-to-transmodal connectome hierarchy and assessed its similarity with the connectome hierarchy of schizophrenia. Furthermore, normative and differential postmortem gene expression data were utilized to examine transcriptional profiles linked to schizotypy-associated connectome hierarchy. STUDY RESULTS We found that schizotypy was associated with a compressed functional connectome hierarchy. Moreover, the pattern of schizotypy-related hierarchy exhibited a positive correlation with the connectome hierarchy observed in schizophrenia. This pattern was closely colocated with the expression of schizophrenia-related genes, with the correlated genes being enriched in transsynaptic, receptor signaling and calcium ion binding. CONCLUSIONS The compressed connectome hierarchy suggests diminished functional system differentiation, providing a novel and holistic system-level basis for various sensory-cognition deficits in schizotypy. Importantly, its linkage with schizophrenia-altered hierarchy and schizophrenia-related gene expression yields new insights into the neurobiological continuum of psychosis. It also provides mechanistic insight into how gene variation may drive alterations in functional hierarchy, mediating biological vulnerability of schizotypy to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debo Dong
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Yulin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Sleep and NeuroImaging Center, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuebin Chang
- Department of Information Sciences, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qinghua He
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xu Lei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Sleep and NeuroImaging Center, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Fotia F, Cooke J, Van Dam L, Ferri F, Romei V. The temporal sensitivity to the tactile-induced double flash illusion mediates the impact of beta oscillations on schizotypal personality traits. Conscious Cogn 2021; 91:103121. [PMID: 33853020 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The coherent experience of the self and the world depends on the ability to integrate vs. segregate sensory information. Optimal temporal integration between the senses is mediated by oscillatory properties of neural activity. Previous research showed reduced temporal sensitivity to multisensory events in schizotypy, a personality trait linked to schizophrenia. Here we used the tactile-induced Double-Flash-Illusion (tDFI) to investigate the tactile-to-visual temporal sensitivity in schizotypy, as indexed by the temporal window of illusion (TWI) and its neural underpinnings. We measured EEG oscillations within the beta band, recently shown to correlate with the tDFI. We found individuals with higher schizotypal traits to have wider TWI and slower beta waves accounting for the temporal window within which they perceive the illusion. Our results indicate reduced tactile-to-visual temporal sensitivity to mediate the effect of slowed oscillatory beta activity on schizotypal personality traits. We conclude that slowed oscillatory patterns might constitute an early marker for psychosis proneness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Francesca Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Universita' di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
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Cropper SJ, McCauley A, Gwinn OS, Bartlett M, Nicholls MER. Flowers in the Attic: Lateralization of the detection of meaning in visual noise. J Vis 2020; 20:11. [PMID: 33027510 PMCID: PMC7545083 DOI: 10.1167/jov.20.10.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain is a slave to sense; we see and hear things that are not there and engage in ongoing correction of these illusory experiences, commonly termed pareidolia. The current study investigates whether the predisposition to see meaning in noise is lateralized to one hemisphere or the other and how this predisposition to visual false-alarms is related to personality. Stimuli consisted of images of faces or flowers embedded in pink (1/f) noise generated through a novel process and presented in a divided-field paradigm. Right-handed undergraduates participated in a forced-choice signal-detection task where they determined whether a face or flower signal was present in a single-interval trial. Experiment 1 involved an equal ratio of signal-to-noise trials; experiment 2 provided more potential for illusionary perception with 25% signal and 75% noise trials. There was no asymmetry in the ability to discriminate signal from noise trials (measured using d') for either faces and flowers, although the response criterion (c) suggested a stronger predisposition to visual false alarms in the right visual field, and this was negatively correlated to the unusual experiences dimension of schizotypy. Counter to expectations, changing the signal-image to noise-image proportion in Experiment 2 did not change the number of false alarms for either faces and flowers, although a stronger bias was seen to the right visual field; sensitivity remained the same in both hemifields but there was a moderate positive correlation between cognitive disorganization and the bias (c) for "flower" judgements. Overall, these results were consistent with a rapid evidence-accumulation process of the kind described by a diffusion decision model mediating the task lateralized to the left-hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J Cropper
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ashlan McCauley
- School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - O Scott Gwinn
- School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Megan Bartlett
- School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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Rubinsten O, Korem N, Levin N, Furman T. Frequency-based Dissociation of Symbolic and Nonsymbolic Numerical Processing during Numerical Comparison. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:762-782. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that during numerical calculation, symbolic and nonsymbolic processing are functionally distinct operations. Nevertheless, both roughly recruit the same brain areas (spatially overlapping networks in the parietal cortex) and happen at the same time (roughly 250 msec poststimulus onset). We tested the hypothesis that symbolic and nonsymbolic processing are segregated by means of functionally relevant networks in different frequency ranges: high gamma (above 50 Hz) for symbolic processing and lower beta (12–17 Hz) for nonsymbolic processing. EEG signals were quantified as participants compared either symbolic numbers or nonsymbolic quantities. Larger EEG gamma-band power was observed for more difficult symbolic comparisons (ratio of 0.8 between the two numbers) than for easier comparisons (ratio of 0.2) over frontocentral regions. Similarly, beta-band power was larger for more difficult nonsymbolic comparisons than for easier ones over parietal areas. These results confirm the existence of a functional dissociation in EEG oscillatory dynamics during numerical processing that is compatible with the notion of distinct linguistic processing of symbolic numbers and approximation of nonsymbolic numerical information.
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So RP, Kegeles LS, Mao X, Shungu DC, Stanford AD, Chen CMA. Long-range gamma phase synchronization as a compensatory strategy during working memory in high-performing patients with schizophrenia. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2018; 40:663-681. [PMID: 29388507 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2017.1420142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Working memory deficits in schizophrenia may be associated with impairments in the integration of neural activity across a distributed network of cortical areas. However, evaluation of the contribution of this integration to working memory impairments in patients is severely confounded by behavioral performance. In the present multidimensional-neuroimaging study, measures of neural oscillations at baseline and during a working memory task, baseline gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and behavioral performance were obtained. Controlling behavioral performance by recruiting only "high-performing" patients with schizophrenia, we investigated whether the strength of cross-area communications differs between patients with schizophrenia and healthy participants under accurate and equivalent behavioral performance. Results of phase-locking value indicated that these high-performing patients recruited significantly more between frontal and occipital regions in the left hemisphere, t(13) = -2.16, p = .05, Cohen's d = -1.20, and between frontal and temporal regions in the right hemisphere, t(13) = -2.63, p = .02, Cohen's d = -1.46. These cross-area communication patterns may be associated with visuoverbal and visuospatial working memory networks of the left and right hemispheres, respectively. Moreover, correlations of patient's cross-area communication with in vivo GABA levels of the left DLPFC revealed a significant positive relationship (r = .77, p = .04), demonstrating that the critical role of GABA functions in gamma band oscillations may go beyond local neuronal assemblies in the left DLPFC. Altogether, these exploratory findings point to the heterogeneity among schizophrenia patients and highlight the notion that high-performing patients may engage in potential compensatory mechanisms and may represent a subgroup of patients that may be categorically or dimensionally divergent in psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel P So
- a Psychological Sciences , University of Connecticut , Storrs , CT , USA
| | - Lawrence S Kegeles
- b Clinical Psychiatry (in Radiology) , Columbia University , New York , NY , USA
| | - Xiangling Mao
- c Radiology , Weill Cornell Medical College , New York , NY , USA
| | - Dikoma C Shungu
- c Radiology , Weill Cornell Medical College , New York , NY , USA
| | - Arielle D Stanford
- d Institute for the Neurosciences , Brigham and Women's Hospital , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Chi-Ming A Chen
- a Psychological Sciences , University of Connecticut , Storrs , CT , USA
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Reilly TJ, Nottage JF, Studerus E, Rutigliano G, Micheli AID, Fusar-Poli P, McGuire P. Gamma band oscillations in the early phase of psychosis: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 90:381-399. [PMID: 29656029 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal gamma oscillations, measured by electroencephalography (EEG), have been associated with chronic psychotic disorders, but their prevalence in the early phase of psychosis is less clear. We sought to address this by systematically reviewing the relevant literature. We searched for EEG studies of gamma band oscillations in subjects at high risk for psychosis and in patients with first episode psychosis. The following measures of gamma oscillations were extracted: resting power, evoked power, induced power, connectivity and peak frequency. Forty-five studies with a total of 3099 participants were included. There were potential sources of bias in the study designs and potential artefacts. Although there were few consistent findings, several studies reported decreased evoked or induced power in both high risk subjects and first episode patients. Studies using larger samples with serial EEG measurements, and designs that minimise artefacts that occur at the gamma frequency may advance work in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Reilly
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - Judith F Nottage
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Erich Studerus
- Center for Gender Research and Early Detection, University of Basel Psychiatric Clinics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Grazia Rutigliano
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea I De Micheli
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
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7
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Broyd SJ, Michie PT, Bruggemann J, van Hell HH, Greenwood LM, Croft RJ, Todd J, Lenroot R, Solowij N. Schizotypy and auditory mismatch negativity in a non-clinical sample of young adults. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2016; 254:83-91. [PMID: 27388803 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2016.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia may be conceptualised using a dimensional approach to examine trait-like expression such as schizotypy within non-clinical populations to better understand pathophysiology. A candidate psychosis-risk marker, the auditory mismatch negativity (MMN) is thought to index the functionality of glutamatergic NMDA receptor mediated neurotransmission. Although the MMN is robustly reduced in patients with schizophrenia, the association between MMN and schizotypy in the general population is under-investigated. Thirty-five healthy participants completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and a multi-feature MMN paradigm (standards 82%, 50ms, 1000Hz, 80dB) with duration (100ms), frequency (1200Hz) and intensity (90dB) deviants (6% each). Spearman's correlations were used to explore the association between schizotypal personality traits and MMN amplitude. Few associations were identified between schizotypal traits and MMN. Higher Suspiciousness subscale scores tended to be correlated with larger frequency MMN amplitude. A median-split comparison of the sample on Suspiciousness scores showed larger MMN (irrespective of deviant condition) in the High compared to the Low Suspiciousness group. The trend-level association between MMN and Suspiciousness is in contrast to the robustly attenuated MMN amplitude observed in schizophrenia. Reductions in MMN may reflect a schizophrenia-disease state, whereas non-clinical schizotypy may not be subserved by similar neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Broyd
- School of Psychology, Centre for Health Initiatives and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
| | - Patricia T Michie
- School of Psychology and Priority Research Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason Bruggemann
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Hendrika H van Hell
- School of Psychology, Centre for Health Initiatives and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Lisa-Marie Greenwood
- School of Psychology, Centre for Health Initiatives and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Rodney J Croft
- School of Psychology, Centre for Health Initiatives and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Juanita Todd
- School of Psychology and Priority Research Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Rhoshel Lenroot
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology, Centre for Health Initiatives and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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Cognitive and oculomotor performance in subjects with low and high schizotypy: implications for translational drug development studies. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:C. [PMID: 27187233 PMCID: PMC5070057 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of drugs to improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia is a major unmet clinical need. A number of promising compounds failed in recent clinical trials, a pattern linked to poor translation between preclinical and clinical stages of drug development. Seeking proof of efficacy in early Phase 1 studies in surrogate patient populations (for example, high schizotypy individuals where subtle cognitive impairment is present) has been suggested as a strategy to reduce attrition in the later stages of drug development. However, there is little agreement regarding the pattern of distribution of schizotypal features in the general population, creating uncertainty regarding the optimal control group that should be included in prospective trials. We aimed to address this question by comparing the performance of groups derived from the general population with low, average and high schizotypy scores over a range of cognitive and oculomotor tasks. We found that tasks dependent on frontal inhibitory mechanisms (N-Back working memory and anti-saccade oculomotor tasks), as well as a smooth-pursuit oculomotor task were sensitive to differences in the schizotypy phenotype. In these tasks the cognitive performance of 'low schizotypes' was significantly different from 'high schizotypes' with 'average schizotypes' having an intermediate performance. These results indicate that for evaluating putative cognition enhancers for treating schizophrenia in early-drug development studies the maximum schizotypy effect would be achieved using a design that compares low and high schizotypes.
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You Don't See What I See: Individual Differences in the Perception of Meaning from Visual Stimuli. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150615. [PMID: 26954696 PMCID: PMC4783041 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Everyone has their own unique version of the visual world and there has been growing interest in understanding the way that personality shapes one's perception. Here, we investigated meaningful visual experiences in relation to the personality dimension of schizotypy. In a novel approach to this issue, a non-clinical sample of subjects (total n = 197) were presented with calibrated images of scenes, cartoons and faces of varying visibility embedded in noise; the spatial properties of the images were constructed to mimic the natural statistics of the environment. In two experiments, subjects were required to indicate what they saw in a large number of unique images, both with and without actual meaningful structure. The first experiment employed an open-ended response paradigm and used a variety of different images in noise; the second experiment only presented a series of faces embedded in noise, and required a forced-choice response from the subjects. The results in all conditions indicated that a high positive schizotypy score was associated with an increased tendency to perceive complex meaning in images comprised purely of random visual noise. Individuals high in positive schizotypy seemed to be employing a looser criterion (response bias) to determine what constituted a 'meaningful' image, while also being significantly less sensitive at the task than those low in positive schizotypy. Our results suggest that differences in perceptual performance for individuals high in positive schizotypy are not related to increased suggestibility or susceptibility to instruction, as had previously been suggested. Instead, the observed reductions in sensitivity along with increased response bias toward seeing something that is not there, indirectly implicated subtle neurophysiological differences associated with the personality dimension of schizotypy, that are theoretically pertinent to the continuum of schizophrenia and hallucination-proneness.
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10
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Variability of single trial brain activation predicts fluctuations in reaction time. Biol Psychol 2015; 106:50-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2013] [Revised: 12/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Ettinger U, Mohr C, Gooding DC, Cohen AS, Rapp A, Haenschel C, Park S. Cognition and brain function in schizotypy: a selective review. Schizophr Bull 2015; 41 Suppl 2:S417-26. [PMID: 25810056 PMCID: PMC4373634 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbu190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Schizotypy refers to a set of personality traits thought to reflect the subclinical expression of the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia. Here, we review the cognitive and brain functional profile associated with high questionnaire scores in schizotypy. We discuss empirical evidence from the domains of perception, attention, memory, imagery and representation, language, and motor control. Perceptual deficits occur early and across various modalities. While the neural mechanisms underlying visual impairments may be linked to magnocellular dysfunction, further effects may be seen downstream in higher cognitive functions. Cognitive deficits are observed in inhibitory control, selective and sustained attention, incidental learning, and memory. In concordance with the cognitive nature of many of the aberrations of schizotypy, higher levels of schizotypy are associated with enhanced vividness and better performance on tasks of mental rotation. Language deficits seem most pronounced in higher-level processes. Finally, higher levels of schizotypy are associated with reduced performance on oculomotor tasks, resembling the impairments seen in schizophrenia. Some of these deficits are accompanied by reduced brain activation, akin to the pattern of hypoactivations in schizophrenia spectrum individuals. We conclude that schizotypy is a construct with apparent phenomenological overlap with schizophrenia and stable interindividual differences that covary with performance on a wide range of perceptual, cognitive, and motor tasks known to be impaired in schizophrenia. The importance of these findings lies not only in providing a fine-grained neurocognitive characterization of a personality constellation known to be associated with real-life impairments, but also in generating hypotheses concerning the aetiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Ettinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany;
| | - Christine Mohr
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Diane C. Gooding
- Department of Psychology and,Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Alex S. Cohen
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Alexander Rapp
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Sohee Park
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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Affective processing in positive schizotypy: Loose control of social-emotional information. Brain Cogn 2014; 92C:84-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2014.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2014] [Revised: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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13
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Kornmayer L, Leicht G, Mulert C. Increased gamma oscillations evoked by physically salient distracters are associated with schizotypy. Brain Topogr 2014; 28:153-61. [PMID: 25421170 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-014-0418-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade, there has been growing interest in aberrant salience as a precursor of positive symptoms in schizophrenia. The present study investigates the neurophysiology of attentional capture by salient stimuli in the visual modality. Evoked oscillatory activity in the gamma frequency range (40 Hz) was assessed during visual processing of physically salient distracters and evaluated in relation to schizotypy and its positive, negative and disorganized dimension. The early evoked visual gamma-band response (GBR) was assessed for 24 healthy participants using EEG time-frequency analysis. Physical salience was constituted by colored stimuli diverting from an ongoing baseline condition. schizotypal personality traits were measured by the schizotypal personality questionnaire (SPQ; Raine in Schizophr Bull 17:555-564, 1991). The early evoked visual GBR was significantly pronounced in the physically salient distracter condition. GBR signal power was significantly correlated with positive schizotypal personality traits (r = 0.588; p = 0.024*). Our results indicate that the early evoked GBR in visual processing of physically salient distracters is associated with schizotypy. These findings refer to the phenomenology of aberrant salience by bridging the gap to neurophysiological research on early sensory selection and attentional capture in the schizophrenia spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kornmayer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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14
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Abstract
The study of schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is important clinically, as it is understudied, challenging to treat, often under-recognized or misdiagnosed, and associated with significant functional impairment. SPD also represents an intermediate schizophrenia-spectrum phenotype, and therefore, can provide a better understanding of the genetics, pathogenesis, and treatment of related psychotic illnesses. In this review we discuss recent findings of SPD related to epidemiology and functional impairment, heritability and genetics, working memory and cognitive impairments, social-affective disturbances, and neurobiology. Additionally, we examine the challenges associated with treating patients with SPD, as well as clinical recommendations. Finally, we address future directions and areas in need of further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Rosell
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY,James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY
| | - Shira E. Futterman
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY,James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY
| | - Antonia McMaster
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY,James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY
| | - Larry J. Siever
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY,James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY
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Karalunas SL, Geurts HM, Konrad K, Bender S, Nigg JT. Annual research review: Reaction time variability in ADHD and autism spectrum disorders: measurement and mechanisms of a proposed trans-diagnostic phenotype. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2014; 55:685-710. [PMID: 24628425 PMCID: PMC4267725 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intraindividual variability in reaction time (RT) has received extensive discussion as an indicator of cognitive performance, a putative intermediate phenotype of many clinical disorders, and a possible trans-diagnostic phenotype that may elucidate shared risk factors for mechanisms of psychiatric illnesses. SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY Using the examples of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), we discuss RT variability. We first present a new meta-analysis of RT variability in ASD with and without comorbid ADHD. We then discuss potential mechanisms that may account for RT variability and statistical models that disentangle the cognitive processes affecting RTs. We then report a second meta-analysis comparing ADHD and non-ADHD children on diffusion model parameters. We consider how findings inform the search for neural correlates of RT variability. FINDINGS Results suggest that RT variability is increased in ASD only when children with comorbid ADHD are included in the sample. Furthermore, RT variability in ADHD is explained by moderate to large increases (d = 0.63-0.99) in the ex-Gaussian parameter τ and the diffusion parameter drift rate, as well as by smaller differences (d = 0.32) in the diffusion parameter of nondecision time. The former may suggest problems in state regulation or arousal and difficulty detecting signal from noise, whereas the latter may reflect contributions from deficits in motor organization or output. The neuroimaging literature converges with this multicomponent interpretation and also highlights the role of top-down control circuits. CONCLUSION We underscore the importance of considering the interactions between top-down control, state regulation (e.g., arousal), and motor preparation when interpreting RT variability and conclude that decomposition of the RT signal provides superior interpretive power and suggests mechanisms convergent with those implicated using other cognitive paradigms. We conclude with specific recommendations for the field for next steps in the study of RT variability in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Karalunas
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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Ettinger U, Meyhöfer I, Steffens M, Wagner M, Koutsouleris N. Genetics, cognition, and neurobiology of schizotypal personality: a review of the overlap with schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2014; 5:18. [PMID: 24600411 PMCID: PMC3931123 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizotypy refers to a set of temporally stable traits that are observed in the general population and that resemble the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia. Here, we review evidence from studies on genetics, cognition, perception, motor and oculomotor control, brain structure, brain function, and psychopharmacology in schizotypy. We specifically focused on identifying areas of overlap between schizotypy and schizophrenia. Evidence was corroborated that significant overlap exists between the two, covering the behavioral brain structural and functional as well molecular levels. In particular, several studies showed that individuals with high levels of schizotypal traits exhibit alterations in neurocognitive task performance and underlying brain function similar to the deficits seen in patients with schizophrenia. Studies of brain structure have shown both volume reductions and increase in schizotypy, pointing to schizophrenia-like deficits as well as possible protective or compensatory mechanisms. Experimental pharmacological studies have shown that high levels of schizotypy are associated with (i) enhanced dopaminergic response in striatum following administration of amphetamine and (ii) improvement of cognitive performance following administration of antipsychotic compounds. Together, this body of work suggests that schizotypy shows overlap with schizophrenia across multiple behavioral and neurobiological domains, suggesting that the study of schizotypal traits may be useful in improving our understanding of the etiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Ettinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn , Bonn , Germany
| | - Inga Meyhöfer
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn , Bonn , Germany
| | - Maria Steffens
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn , Bonn , Germany
| | - Michael Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn , Bonn , Germany
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State-dependent changes of prefrontal–posterior coupling in the context of affective processing: Susceptibility to humor. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2012. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-012-0135-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Reiser EM, Schulter G, Weiss EM, Fink A, Rominger C, Papousek I. Decrease of prefrontal–posterior EEG coherence: Loose control during social–emotional stimulation. Brain Cogn 2012; 80:144-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2012.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2011] [Revised: 05/28/2012] [Accepted: 06/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Koychev I, El-Deredy W, Mukherjee T, Haenschel C, Deakin JFW. Core dysfunction in schizophrenia: electrophysiology trait biomarkers. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2012; 126:59-71. [PMID: 22384856 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2012.01849.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Core symptoms of schizophrenia, particularly in the cognitive domain are hypothesized to be due to an abnormality in neural connectivity. Biomarkers of connectivity may therefore be a promising tool in exploring the aetiology of schizophrenia. We used electrophysiological methods to demonstrate abnormal visual information processing during in patients performing a simple cognitive task. METHOD Electrophysiological recordings were acquired from 20 chronically ill, medicated patients diagnosed with either schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder and 20 healthy volunteers while they conducted a working memory (WM) task. RESULTS The patient group had significantly lower accuracy on the WM task and a trend for slower responses. An early visual evoked response potential was reduced in patients. Analysis of the electroencephalographic oscillations showed a decreased phase-locking factor (in the theta, beta and gamma bands) and signal power (theta frequency band). The beta and gamma oscillatory abnormalities were confined to two sets of correlated fronto and occipital electrodes. CONCLUSION The findings of event-related potential and oscillatory abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia confirm the sensitivity of early visual information processing measurements for identification of schizophrenia phenotype. The fronto-occipital distribution of the oscillatory abnormalities replicates our findings from a schizotypal sample and implicates a possible top-down dysfunction as a vulnerability trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Koychev
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, The University of Manchester, UK.
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