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Zaher F, Diallo M, Achim AM, Joober R, Roy MA, Demers MF, Subramanian P, Lavigne KM, Lepage M, Gonzalez D, Zeljkovic I, Davis K, Mackinley M, Sabesan P, Lal S, Voppel A, Palaniyappan L. Speech markers to predict and prevent recurrent episodes of psychosis: A narrative overview and emerging opportunities. Schizophr Res 2024; 266:205-215. [PMID: 38428118 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Preventing relapse in schizophrenia improves long-term health outcomes. Repeated episodes of psychotic symptoms shape the trajectory of this illness and can be a detriment to functional recovery. Despite early intervention programs, high relapse rates persist, calling for alternative approaches in relapse prevention. Predicting imminent relapse at an individual level is critical for effective intervention. While clinical profiles are often used to foresee relapse, they lack the specificity and sensitivity needed for timely prediction. Here, we review the use of speech through Natural Language Processing (NLP) to predict a recurrent psychotic episode. Recent advancements in NLP of speech have shown the ability to detect linguistic markers related to thought disorder and other language disruptions within 2-4 weeks preceding a relapse. This approach has shown to be able to capture individual speech patterns, showing promise in its use as a prediction tool. We outline current developments in remote monitoring for psychotic relapses, discuss the challenges and limitations and present the speech-NLP based approach as an alternative to detect relapses with sufficient accuracy, construct validity and lead time to generate clinical actions towards prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farida Zaher
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mariama Diallo
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Amélie M Achim
- Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Vitam - Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Québec City, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche CERVO, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Ridha Joober
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Marc-André Roy
- Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche CERVO, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-France Demers
- Centre de Recherche CERVO, Québec City, QC, Canada; Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Priya Subramanian
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Katie M Lavigne
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Lepage
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daniela Gonzalez
- Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychosis, London Health Sciences Center, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Irnes Zeljkovic
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kristin Davis
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michael Mackinley
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychosis, London Health Sciences Center, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Priyadharshini Sabesan
- Lakeshore General Hospital and Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Shalini Lal
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada; School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Alban Voppel
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lena Palaniyappan
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
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2
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Quiñones-Labernik P, Blocklinger KL, Bruce MR, Ferri SL. Excess neonatal testosterone causes male-specific social and fear memory deficits in wild-type mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.18.562939. [PMID: 37905064 PMCID: PMC10614869 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.18.562939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) disproportionately affect males compared to females, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in particular exhibits a 4:1 male bias. The biological mechanisms of this female protection or male susceptibility have not been identified. There is some evidence to suggest that fetal/neonatal gonadal hormones, which play pivotal roles in many aspects of development, may contribute. Here, we investigate the role of testosterone administration during a critical period of development, and its effects on social approach and fear learning in C57BL/6J wildtype mice. Male, but not female mice treated with testosterone on the day of birth (PN0) exhibited deficits in both social behavior and contextual fear conditioning, whereas mice treated with the same dose of testosterone on postnatal day 18 (PN18) did not display such impairments. Testosterone administration did not induce anxiogenic effects or lead to changes in body weight compared to the vehicle-treated group. These impairmeants are relevant to ND and may help identify novel treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sarah L Ferri
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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Zamperoni G, Tan EJ, Rossell SL, Meyer D, Sumner PJ. Evidence for the factor structure of formal thought disorder: A systematic review. Schizophr Res 2024; 264:424-434. [PMID: 38244319 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Disorganised speech, or, formal thought disorder (FTD), is considered one of the core features of psychosis, yet its factor structure remains debated. This systematic review aimed to identify the core dimensions of FTD. In line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), a systematic review was conducted on the FTD factor analytic literature. Sixteen studies were identified from PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science between October 1971 and January 2023. Across the 39 factor analyses investigated, findings demonstrated the prominence of a three-factor structure. Broad agreement was found for two factors within the three-factor model, which were typically referred to as disorganisation and negative, with the exact nature of the third dimension requiring further clarification. The quality assessment revealed some methodological challenges relating to the assessment of FTD and conducted factor analyses. Future research should clarify the exact nature of the third dimension across different patient groups and methodologies to determine whether a consistent transdiagnostic concept of FTD can be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Zamperoni
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia.
| | - Eric J Tan
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia; Memory Ageing & Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Singapore; Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, VIC 3065, Australia
| | - Denny Meyer
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia; Department of Health Sciences and Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Philip J Sumner
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia
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4
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Mota NB, Weissheimer J, Finger I, Ribeiro M, Malcorra B, Hübner L. Speech as a Graph: Developmental Perspectives on the Organization of Spoken Language. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:985-993. [PMID: 37085138 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Language has been used as a privileged window to investigate mental processes. More recently, descriptions of psychopathological symptoms have been analyzed with the help of natural language processing tools. An example is the study of speech organization using graph theoretical approaches that began approximately 10 years ago. After its application in different areas, there is a need to better characterize what aspects can be associated with typical and atypical behavior throughout the lifespan, given the variables related to aging as well as biological and social contexts. The precise quantification of mental processes assessed through language may allow us to disentangle biological/social markers by looking at naturalistic protocols in different contexts. In this review, we discuss 10 years of studies in which word recurrence graphs were adopted to characterize the chain of thoughts expressed by individuals while producing discourse. Initially developed to understand formal thought disorder in the context of psychotic syndromes, this line of research has been expanded to understand the atypical development in different stages of psychosis and differential diagnosis (such as dementia) as well as the typical development of thought organization in school-age children/teenagers in naturalistic and school-based protocols. We comment on the effects of environmental factors, such as education and reading habits (in monolingual and bilingual contexts), in clinical and nonclinical populations at different developmental stages (from childhood to older adulthood, considering aging effects on cognition). Looking toward the future, there is an opportunity to use word recurrence graphs to address complex questions that consider biological/social factors within a developmental perspective in typical and atypical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Bezerra Mota
- Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Research Department, Motrix Laboratory - Motrix, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Janaina Weissheimer
- Department of Modern Foreign Languages, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil; Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil; National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Ingrid Finger
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brasília, Brazil; Department of Modern Languages, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marina Ribeiro
- Research Department, Motrix Laboratory - Motrix, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Bioinformatics Multidisciplinary Environment-Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Malcorra
- Research Department, Motrix Laboratory - Motrix, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lilian Hübner
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brasília, Brazil; Department of Linguistics-Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Fradkin I, Nour MM, Dolan RJ. Theory-Driven Analysis of Natural Language Processing Measures of Thought Disorder Using Generative Language Modeling. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:1013-1023. [PMID: 37257754 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural language processing (NLP) holds promise to transform psychiatric research and practice. A pertinent example is the success of NLP in the automatic detection of speech disorganization in formal thought disorder (FTD). However, we lack an understanding of precisely what common NLP metrics measure and how they relate to theoretical accounts of FTD. We propose tackling these questions by using deep generative language models to simulate FTD-like narratives by perturbing computational parameters instantiating theory-based mechanisms of FTD. METHODS We simulated FTD-like narratives using Generative-Pretrained-Transformer-2 by either increasing word selection stochasticity or limiting the model's memory span. We then examined the sensitivity of common NLP measures of derailment (semantic distance between consecutive words or sentences) and tangentiality (how quickly meaning drifts away from the topic) in detecting and dissociating the 2 underlying impairments. RESULTS Both parameters led to narratives characterized by greater semantic distance between consecutive sentences. Conversely, semantic distance between words was increased by increasing stochasticity, but decreased by limiting memory span. An NLP measure of tangentiality was uniquely predicted by limited memory span. The effects of limited memory span were nonmonotonic in that forgetting the global context resulted in sentences that were semantically closer to their local, intermediate context. Finally, different methods for encoding the meaning of sentences varied dramatically in performance. CONCLUSIONS This work validates a simulation-based approach as a valuable tool for hypothesis generation and mechanistic analysis of NLP markers in psychiatry. To facilitate dissemination of this approach, we accompany the paper with a hands-on Python tutorial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Fradkin
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Matthew M Nour
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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6
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Hitczenko K, Segal Y, Keshet J, Goldrick M, Mittal VA. Speech characteristics yield important clues about motor function: Speech variability in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 9:60. [PMID: 37717025 PMCID: PMC10505148 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-023-00382-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Motor abnormalities are predictive of psychosis onset in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis and are tied to its progression. We hypothesize that these motor abnormalities also disrupt their speech production (a highly complex motor behavior) and predict CHR individuals will produce more variable speech than healthy controls, and that this variability will relate to symptom severity, motor measures, and psychosis-risk calculator risk scores. STUDY DESIGN We measure variability in speech production (variability in consonants, vowels, speech rate, and pausing/timing) in N = 58 CHR participants and N = 67 healthy controls. Three different tasks are used to elicit speech: diadochokinetic speech (rapidly-repeated syllables e.g., papapa…, pataka…), read speech, and spontaneously-generated speech. STUDY RESULTS Individuals in the CHR group produced more variable consonants and exhibited greater speech rate variability than healthy controls in two of the three speech tasks (diadochokinetic and read speech). While there were no significant correlations between speech measures and remotely-obtained motor measures, symptom severity, or conversion risk scores, these comparisons may be under-powered (in part due to challenges of remote data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic). CONCLUSION This study provides a thorough and theory-driven first look at how speech production is affected in this at-risk population and speaks to the promise and challenges facing this approach moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasia Hitczenko
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Études Cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France.
| | - Yael Segal
- Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Joseph Keshet
- Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Matthew Goldrick
- Department of Linguistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Cognitive Science Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Vijay A Mittal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Cognitive Science Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Evanston/Chicago, IL, USA
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7
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Mota NB, Ribeiro M, Malcorra BLC, Atídio JP, Haguiara B, Gadelha A. Happy thoughts: What computational assessment of connectedness and emotional words can inform about early stages of psychosis. Schizophr Res 2023; 259:38-47. [PMID: 35811267 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, different natural language processing tools measured aspects related to narratives' structural, semantic, and emotional content. However, there is a need to better understand the limitations and effectiveness of speech elicitation protocols. The graph-theoretical analysis applied to short narratives reveals lower connectedness associated with negative symptoms even in the early stages of psychosis, but emotional topics seem more informative than others. We investigate the interaction between connectedness and emotional words with negative symptoms and educational level in participants with and without psychosis. For that purpose, we used a speech elicitation protocol based on three positive affective pictures and calculated the proportion of emotional words and connectedness measures in the first-episode psychosis (FEP) group (N: 24) and a control group (N: 33). First, we replicated the association between connectedness and negative symptoms (R2: 0.53, p: 0.0049). Second, the more positive terms, the more connected the narrative was, exclusively under psychosis and in association with education, pointing to an interaction between symptoms and formal education. Negative symptoms were independently associated with connectedness, but not with emotional words, although the associations with education were mutually dependent. Together, education and symptoms explained almost 70 % of connectedness variance (R2: 0.67, p < 0.0001), but not emotional expression. At this initial stage of psychosis, education seems to play an important role, diminishing the impact of negative symptoms on the narrative connectedness. Negative symptoms in FEP impact narrative connectedness in association with emotional expression, revealing aspects of social cognition through a short and innocuous protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Bezerra Mota
- Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Research department at Motrix Lab, Motrix, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Marina Ribeiro
- Research department at Motrix Lab, Motrix, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - João Paulo Atídio
- Schizophrenia Program (PROESQ), Department of Psychiatry, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), Brazil
| | - Bernardo Haguiara
- Schizophrenia Program (PROESQ), Department of Psychiatry, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), Brazil
| | - Ary Gadelha
- Schizophrenia Program (PROESQ), Department of Psychiatry, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), Brazil
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Silva AM, Limongi R, MacKinley M, Ford SD, Alonso-Sánchez MF, Palaniyappan L. Syntactic complexity of spoken language in the diagnosis of schizophrenia: A probabilistic Bayes network model. Schizophr Res 2023; 259:88-96. [PMID: 35752547 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In the clinical linguistics of schizophrenia, syntactic complexity has received much attention. In this study, we address whether syntactic complexity deteriorates within the six months following the first episode of psychosis in those who develop a diagnosis of schizophrenia. We collected data from a cohort of twenty-six first-episode psychosis and 12 healthy control subjects using the Thought and Language Index interview in response to three pictures from the Thematic Apperception Test at first assessment and after six months (the time of consensus diagnosis). An automated labeling (part-of-speech tagging) for specific syntactic elements calculated large and granular syntactic complexity indices with a focus on clause complexity as a particular case from this spoken language data. Probabilistic reasoning leveraging the conditional independence properties of Bayes networks revealed that consensus diagnosis of schizophrenia predicted a decrease in nominal subjects per clause among individuals with first episode psychosis. From the entire sample, we estimate a 95.4 % probability that a 50 % decrease in mean nominal subjects per clause after six months is explained by the presence of first episode psychosis. Among those with psychosis, a 30 % decrease in this clause-complexity index after six months of experiencing the first episode predicted with 95 % probability a consensus diagnosis of schizophrenia, representing a conditional relationship between a longitudinal decrease in syntactic complexity and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. We conclude that an early drift towards linguistic disorganization/impoverishment of clause complexity-at the granular level of nominal subject per clause-is a distinctive feature of schizophrenia that decreases longitudinally, thus differentiating schizophrenia from other psychotic illnesses with shared phenomenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica M Silva
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Roberto Limongi
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Canada; Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Wilfred Laurier University, Brantford, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael MacKinley
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sabrina D Ford
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Lena Palaniyappan
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada
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9
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Parola A, Lin JM, Simonsen A, Bliksted V, Zhou Y, Wang H, Inoue L, Koelkebeck K, Fusaroli R. Speech disturbances in schizophrenia: Assessing cross-linguistic generalizability of NLP automated measures of coherence. Schizophr Res 2023; 259:59-70. [PMID: 35927097 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Language disorders - disorganized and incoherent speech in particular - are distinctive features of schizophrenia. Natural language processing (NLP) offers automated measures of incoherent speech as promising markers for schizophrenia. However, the scientific and clinical impact of NLP markers depends on their generalizability across contexts, samples, and languages, which we systematically assessed in the present study relying on a large, novel, cross-linguistic corpus. METHODS We collected a Danish (DK), German (GE), and Chinese (CH) cross-linguistic dataset involving transcripts from 187 participants with schizophrenia (111DK, 25GE, 51CH) and 200 matched controls (129DK, 29GE, 42CH) performing the Animated Triangles Task. Fourteen previously published NLP coherence measures were calculated, and between-groups differences and association with symptoms were tested for cross-linguistic generalizability. RESULTS One coherence measure, i.e. second-order coherence, robustly generalized across samples and languages. We found several language-specific effects, some of which partially replicated previous findings (lower coherence in German and Chinese patients), while others did not (higher coherence in Danish patients). We found several associations between symptoms and measures of coherence, but the effects were generally inconsistent across languages and rating scales. CONCLUSIONS Using a cumulative approach, we have shown that NLP findings of reduced semantic coherence in schizophrenia have limited generalizability across different languages, samples, and measures. We argue that several factors such as sociodemographic and clinical heterogeneity, cross-linguistic variation, and the different NLP measures reflecting different clinical aspects may be responsible for this variability. Future studies should take this variability into account in order to develop effective clinical applications targeting different patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Parola
- Department of Linguistics, Semiotics and Cognitive Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; The Interacting Minds Centre, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Jessica Mary Lin
- Department of Linguistics, Semiotics and Cognitive Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; The Interacting Minds Centre, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Arndis Simonsen
- The Interacting Minds Centre, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Psychosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Vibeke Bliksted
- The Interacting Minds Centre, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Psychosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huiling Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lana Inoue
- LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hospital and Institute of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Center for Translational Neuro- & Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Duisburg Essen, Germany
| | - Katja Koelkebeck
- LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hospital and Institute of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Center for Translational Neuro- & Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Duisburg Essen, Germany
| | - Riccardo Fusaroli
- Department of Linguistics, Semiotics and Cognitive Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; The Interacting Minds Centre, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Linguistic Data Consortium, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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10
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Just SA, Bröcker AL, Ryazanskaya G, Nenchev I, Schneider M, Bermpohl F, Heinz A, Montag C. Validation of natural language processing methods capturing semantic incoherence in the speech of patients with non-affective psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1208856. [PMID: 37564246 PMCID: PMC10411549 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1208856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Impairments in speech production are a core symptom of non-affective psychosis (NAP). While traditional clinical ratings of patients' speech involve a subjective human factor, modern methods of natural language processing (NLP) promise an automatic and objective way of analyzing patients' speech. This study aimed to validate NLP methods for analyzing speech production in NAP patients. Methods Speech samples from patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were obtained at two measurement points, 6 months apart. Out of N = 71 patients at T1, speech samples were also available for N = 54 patients at T2. Global and local models of semantic coherence as well as different word embeddings (word2vec vs. GloVe) were applied to the transcribed speech samples. They were tested and compared regarding their correlation with clinical ratings and external criteria from cross-sectional and longitudinal measurements. Results Results did not show differences for global vs. local coherence models and found more significant correlations between word2vec models and clinically relevant outcome variables than for GloVe models. Exploratory analysis of longitudinal data did not yield significant correlation with coherence scores. Conclusion These results indicate that natural language processing methods need to be critically validated in more studies and carefully selected before clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Anna Just
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna-Lena Bröcker
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Ivan Nenchev
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Schneider
- IPB Institut für Integrative Psychotherapieausbildung Berlin, MSB Medical School Berlin, GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Bermpohl
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christiane Montag
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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11
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Corona Hernández H, Corcoran C, Achim AM, de Boer JN, Boerma T, Brederoo SG, Cecchi GA, Ciampelli S, Elvevåg B, Fusaroli R, Giordano S, Hauglid M, van Hessen A, Hinzen W, Homan P, de Kloet SF, Koops S, Kuperberg GR, Maheshwari K, Mota NB, Parola A, Rocca R, Sommer IEC, Truong K, Voppel AE, van Vugt M, Wijnen F, Palaniyappan L. Natural Language Processing Markers for Psychosis and Other Psychiatric Disorders: Emerging Themes and Research Agenda From a Cross-Linguistic Workshop. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:S86-S92. [PMID: 36946526 PMCID: PMC10031727 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
This workshop summary on natural language processing (NLP) markers for psychosis and other psychiatric disorders presents some of the clinical and research issues that NLP markers might address and some of the activities needed to move in that direction. We propose that the optimal development of NLP markers would occur in the context of research efforts to map out the underlying mechanisms of psychosis and other disorders. In this workshop, we identified some of the challenges to be addressed in developing and implementing NLP markers-based Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSSs) in psychiatric practice, especially with respect to psychosis. Of note, a CDSS is meant to enhance decision-making by clinicians by providing additional relevant information primarily through software (although CDSSs are not without risks). In psychiatry, a field that relies on subjective clinical ratings that condense rich temporal behavioral information, the inclusion of computational quantitative NLP markers can plausibly lead to operationalized decision models in place of idiosyncratic ones, although ethical issues must always be paramount.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Corona Hernández
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Cheryl Corcoran
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - Amélie M Achim
- Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, VITAM Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Cervo Brain Research Centre, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Janna N de Boer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Tessel Boerma
- Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Institute for Language Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Sanne G Brederoo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- University Center of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Silvia Ciampelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Brita Elvevåg
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø—the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Riccardo Fusaroli
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Culture, Interacting Minds Center, Cognition and Computation Communication, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Linguistic Data Consortium, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Silvia Giordano
- Department of Innovative Technologies, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Hauglid
- Faculty of Law, University of Tromsø—the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Arjan van Hessen
- Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Institute for Language Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Department of Human Media Interaction, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Wolfram Hinzen
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philipp Homan
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Sanne Koops
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Gina R Kuperberg
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kritika Maheshwari
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Ethics and Philosophy of Technology Section, Faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Natalia B Mota
- Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Research department at Motrix Lab—Motrix, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alberto Parola
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Culture, Interacting Minds Center, Cognition and Computation Communication, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Roberta Rocca
- Department of Culture, Interacting Minds Center, Cognition and Computation Communication, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Iris E C Sommer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- University Center of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Khiet Truong
- Department of Human Media Interaction, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Alban E Voppel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Marieke van Vugt
- Bernoulli Institute of Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Frank Wijnen
- Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Institute for Language Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Lena Palaniyappan
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Parola A, Simonsen A, Lin JM, Zhou Y, Wang H, Ubukata S, Koelkebeck K, Bliksted V, Fusaroli R. Voice Patterns as Markers of Schizophrenia: Building a Cumulative Generalizable Approach Via a Cross-Linguistic and Meta-analysis Based Investigation. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:S125-S141. [PMID: 36946527 PMCID: PMC10031745 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Voice atypicalities are potential markers of clinical features of schizophrenia (eg, negative symptoms). A recent meta-analysis identified an acoustic profile associated with schizophrenia (reduced pitch variability and increased pauses), but also highlighted shortcomings in the field: small sample sizes, little attention to the heterogeneity of the disorder, and to generalizing findings to diverse samples and languages. STUDY DESIGN We provide a critical cumulative approach to vocal atypicalities in schizophrenia, where we conceptually and statistically build on previous studies. We aim at identifying a cross-linguistically reliable acoustic profile of schizophrenia and assessing sources of heterogeneity (symptomatology, pharmacotherapy, clinical and social characteristics). We relied on previous meta-analysis to build and analyze a large cross-linguistic dataset of audio recordings of 231 patients with schizophrenia and 238 matched controls (>4000 recordings in Danish, German, Mandarin and Japanese). We used multilevel Bayesian modeling, contrasting meta-analytically informed and skeptical inferences. STUDY RESULTS We found only a minimal generalizable acoustic profile of schizophrenia (reduced pitch variability), while duration atypicalities replicated only in some languages. We identified reliable associations between acoustic profile and individual differences in clinical ratings of negative symptoms, medication, age and gender. However, these associations vary across languages. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that a strong cross-linguistically reliable acoustic profile of schizophrenia is unlikely. Rather, if we are to devise effective clinical applications able to target different ranges of patients, we need first to establish larger and more diverse cross-linguistic datasets, focus on individual differences, and build self-critical cumulative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Parola
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- The Interacting Minds Center, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Arndis Simonsen
- The Interacting Minds Center, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Psychosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jessica Mary Lin
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- The Interacting Minds Center, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huiling Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shiho Ubukata
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Katja Koelkebeck
- LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hospital and Institute of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Duisburg-Essen, Germany
| | - Vibeke Bliksted
- The Interacting Minds Center, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Psychosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Riccardo Fusaroli
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- The Interacting Minds Center, Institute of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Linguistic Data Consortium, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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13
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Tan EJ, Sommer IEC, Palaniyappan L. Language and Psychosis: Tightening the Association. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:S83-S85. [PMID: 36946524 PMCID: PMC10031734 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
This special issue of DISCOURSE in Psychosis focuses on the role of language in psychosis, including the relationships between formal thought disorder and conceptual disorganization, with speech and language markers and the neural mechanisms underlying these features in psychosis. It also covers the application of computational techniques in the study of language in psychosis, as well as the potential for using speech and language data for digital phenotyping in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Tan
- Memory, Ageing and Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Iris E C Sommer
- RijksUniversity Groningen (RUG), Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lena Palaniyappan
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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14
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Palaniyappan L, Homan P, Alonso-Sanchez MF. Language Network Dysfunction and Formal Thought Disorder in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:486-497. [PMID: 36305160 PMCID: PMC10016399 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathophysiological inquiries into schizophrenia require a consideration of one of its most defining features: disorganization and impoverishment in verbal behavior. This feature, often captured using the term Formal Thought Disorder (FTD), still remains to be one of the most poorly understood and understudied dimensions of schizophrenia. In particular, the large-scale network level dysfunction that contributes to FTD remains obscure to date. STUDY DESIGN In this narrative review, we consider the various challenges that need to be addressed for us to move towards mapping FTD (construct) to a brain network level account (circuit). STUDY RESULTS The construct-to-circuit mapping goal is now becoming more plausible than it ever was, given the parallel advent of brain stimulation and the tools providing objective readouts of human speech. Notwithstanding this, several challenges remain to be overcome before we can decisively map the neural basis of FTD. We highlight the need for phenotype refinement, robust experimental designs, informed analytical choices, and present plausible targets in and beyond the Language Network for brain stimulation studies in FTD. CONCLUSIONS Developing a therapeutically beneficial pathophysiological model of FTD is a challenging endeavor, but holds the promise of improving interpersonal communication and reducing social disability in schizophrenia. Addressing the issues raised in this review will be a decisive step in this direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Palaniyappan
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Philipp Homan
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria F Alonso-Sanchez
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- CIDCL, Fonoaudiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile
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Benítez-Burraco A, Adornetti I, Ferretti F, Progovac L. An evolutionary account of impairment of self in cognitive disorders. Cogn Process 2023; 24:107-127. [PMID: 36180662 PMCID: PMC9898376 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-022-01110-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has proposed that certain aspects of psychosis, as experienced in, e.g., schizophrenia (SCZ), but also aspects of other cognitive conditions, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and synesthesia, can be related to a shattered sense of the notion of self. In this paper, our goal is to show that altered processing of self can be attributed to an abnormal functioning of cortico-striatal brain networks supporting, among other, one key human distinctive cognitive ability, namely cross-modality, which plays multiple roles in human cognition and language. Specifically, our hypothesis is that this cognitive mechanism sheds light both on some basic aspects of the minimal self and on some aspects related to higher forms of self, such as the narrative self. We further link the atypical functioning in these conditions to some recent evolutionary changes in our species, specifically, an atypical presentation of human self-domestication (HSD) features. In doing so, we also lean on previous work concerning the link between cognitive disorders and language evolution under the effects of HSD. We further show that this approach can unify both linguistic and non-linguistic symptoms of these conditions through deficits in the notion of self. Our considerations provide further support for the hypothesis that SCZ and ASD are diametrically opposed cognitive conditions, as well for the hypothesis that their etiology is associated with recent human evolution, leading to a deeper understanding of the causes and symptoms of these disorders, and providing new cues, which can be used for an earlier and more accurate diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature (Linguistics), Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
| | - Ines Adornetti
- Cosmic Lab, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferretti
- Cosmic Lab, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Ljiljana Progovac
- Linguistics Program, Department of English, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
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16
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Minor KS, Lundin NB, Myers EJ, Fernández-Villardón A, Lysaker PH. Automated measures of speech content and speech organization in schizophrenia: Test-retest reliability and generalizability across demographic variables. Psychiatry Res 2023; 320:115048. [PMID: 36645988 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Technological advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing have increased efficiency of assessing speech content and speech organization in schizophrenia. Despite these developments, there has been little focus on the psychometrics of these approaches. Using two common assessments, the current study addressed this gap by: 1) measuring test-retest reliability; and 2) assessing whether speech content and/or speech organization generalize across demographics. To test these aims, we examined psychometric properties of the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC), a speech content measure, and the Coh-Metrix, a speech organization measure. Across baseline to six month (n = 101) and baseline to one year (n = 47) narrative speech samples, we generally observed fair reliability for speech content measures and fair to good reliability for speech organization measures. Regarding demographics, multiple speech indices varied by race, income, and education. The lack of excellent reliability scores for speech indices holds important implications for examining speech variables in clinical trials and highlights the dynamic nature of speech. This work illustrates the importance of designing speech content and speech organization measures with external validity across demographic factors. Future studies examining speech in schizophrenia should account for potential biases against demographic groups introduced by linguistic analysis tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle S Minor
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
| | - Nancy B Lundin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Evan J Myers
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | | | - Paul H Lysaker
- Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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17
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Mackinley M, Limongi R, Silva AM, Richard J, Subramanian P, Ganjavi H, Palaniyappan L. More than words: Speech production in first-episode psychosis predicts later social and vocational functioning. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1144281. [PMID: 37124249 PMCID: PMC10140590 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1144281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Several disturbances in speech are present in psychosis; however, the relationship between these disturbances during the first-episode of psychosis (FEP) and later vocational functioning is unclear. Demonstrating this relationship is critical if we expect speech and communication deficits to emerge as targets for early intervention. Method We analyzed three 1-min speech samples using automated speech analysis and Bayes networks in an antipsychotic-naive sample of 39 FEP patients and followed them longitudinally to determine their vocational status (engaged or not engaged in employment education or training-EET vs. NEET) after 6-12 months of treatment. Five baseline linguistic variables with prior evidence of clinical relevance (total and acausal connectives use, pronoun use, analytic thinking, and total words uttered in a limited period) were included in a Bayes network along with follow-up NEET status and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS) scores to determine dependencies among these variables. We also included clinical (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale 8-item version (PANSS-8)), social (parental socioeconomic status), and cognitive features (processing speed) at the time of presentation as covariates. Results The Bayes network revealed that only total words spoken at the baseline assessment were directly associated with later NEET status and had an indirect association with SOFAS, with a second set of dependencies emerging among the remaining linguistic variables. The primary (speech-only) model outperformed models including parental socioeconomic status, processing speed or both as latent variables. Conclusion Impoverished speech, even at subclinical levels, may hold prognostic value for functional outcomes and warrant consideration when providing measurement based care for first-episode psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mackinley
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Roberto Limongi
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Julie Richard
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Priya Subramanian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Hooman Ganjavi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Lena Palaniyappan
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Lena Palaniyappan,
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18
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Mota NB. How can computational tools help to understand language patterns in mental suffering considering social diversity. Psychiatry Res 2023; 319:114995. [PMID: 36495617 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The complex interaction between biological and social factors challenges measuring human behavior. Language has been a crucial source of information that mirrors inner processes like thoughts. The development of a novel computational strategy that helps to understand language needs to consider social factors that could also impact human behavior. Ten years ago, I developed a computational approach based on graph theory to measure structural aspects of the narrative's mental organization expressed in spontaneous oral reports. It was possible to measure the decrease in narrative graph connectedness associated with the schizophrenia diagnosis and negative symptoms severity. However, I was worried that the psychiatric field neglected factors from diverse social realities (such as poor access to education). Formal education impacts language by mastering grammar and syntax. Changes in language structure could be related to symptoms and lack of exposure to formal education. Indeed, the same connectedness markers increase according to typical cognitive and academic development. In this paper, I describe the reasons and methods for investigating both factors (psychiatric symptoms and formal education) on language patterns. Further, I evaluate concerns and future challenges of using computational strategies that include social diversity in mental health conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Bezerra Mota
- Institute of Psychiatry at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - IPUB/UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Research department at Motrix Lab - Motrix, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Chen ZS, Kulkarni P(P, Galatzer-Levy IR, Bigio B, Nasca C, Zhang Y. Modern views of machine learning for precision psychiatry. PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 3:100602. [PMID: 36419447 PMCID: PMC9676543 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2022.100602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
In light of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)'s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), the advent of functional neuroimaging, novel technologies and methods provide new opportunities to develop precise and personalized prognosis and diagnosis of mental disorders. Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are playing an increasingly critical role in the new era of precision psychiatry. Combining ML/AI with neuromodulation technologies can potentially provide explainable solutions in clinical practice and effective therapeutic treatment. Advanced wearable and mobile technologies also call for the new role of ML/AI for digital phenotyping in mobile mental health. In this review, we provide a comprehensive review of ML methodologies and applications by combining neuroimaging, neuromodulation, and advanced mobile technologies in psychiatry practice. We further review the role of ML in molecular phenotyping and cross-species biomarker identification in precision psychiatry. We also discuss explainable AI (XAI) and neuromodulation in a closed human-in-the-loop manner and highlight the ML potential in multi-media information extraction and multi-modal data fusion. Finally, we discuss conceptual and practical challenges in precision psychiatry and highlight ML opportunities in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | | | - Isaac R. Galatzer-Levy
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Meta Reality Lab, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benedetta Bigio
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Carla Nasca
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
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20
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Xia T, Han J, Mascolo C. Exploring machine learning for audio-based respiratory condition screening: A concise review of databases, methods, and open issues. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2022; 247:2053-2061. [PMID: 35974706 PMCID: PMC9791302 DOI: 10.1177/15353702221115428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Auscultation plays an important role in the clinic, and the research community has been exploring machine learning (ML) to enable remote and automatic auscultation for respiratory condition screening via sounds. To give the big picture of what is going on in this field, in this narrative review, we describe publicly available audio databases that can be used for experiments, illustrate the developed ML methods proposed to date, and flag some under-considered issues which still need attention. Compared to existing surveys on the topic, we cover the latest literature, especially those audio-based COVID-19 detection studies which have gained extensive attention in the last two years. This work can help to facilitate the application of artificial intelligence in the respiratory auscultation field.
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21
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Dourron HM, Strauss C, Hendricks PS. Self-Entropic Broadening Theory: Toward a New Understanding of Self and Behavior Change Informed by Psychedelics and Psychosis. Pharmacol Rev 2022; 74:982-1027. [DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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22
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Malcorra BLC, Mota NB, Weissheimer J, Schilling LP, Wilson MA, Hübner LC. Reading and writing habits compensate for aging effects in speech connectedness. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2022; 7:13. [PMID: 35676305 PMCID: PMC9178018 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-022-00129-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the association of short- and long-range recurrences (speech connectedness) with age, education, and reading and writing habits (RWH) in typical aging using an oral narrative production task. Oral narrative transcriptions were represented as word-graphs to measure short- and long-range recurrences. Speech connectedness was explained by the combination of age, education, and RWH, and the strength of RWH's coefficient reflects the aging effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara L C Malcorra
- School of Humanities, Graduate Course in Linguistics, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Natália B Mota
- Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Department of Physics, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Janaina Weissheimer
- Brain Institute, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Lucas P Schilling
- School of Medicine, Graduate Course in Medicine and Healthy Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- School of Medicine, Graduate Course in Biomedical Gerontology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Maximiliano A Wilson
- Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Département de réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Lilian C Hübner
- School of Humanities, Graduate Course in Linguistics, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brasília, DF, Brazil
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Mota NB, Pimenta J, Tavares M, Palmeira L, Loch AA, Hedin-Pereira C, Dias EC. A Brazilian bottom-up strategy to address mental health in a diverse population over a large territorial area - an inspiration for the use of digital mental health. Psychiatry Res 2022; 311:114477. [PMID: 35245744 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Brazil is a continental country with a history of massive immigration waves from around the world. Consequently, the Brazilian population is rich in ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity, but suffers from tremendous socioeconomic inequality. Brazil has a documented history of categorizing individuals with culturally specific behaviors as mentally ill, which has led to psychiatric institutionalization for reasons that were more social than clinical. To address this, a "network for psychosocial care" was created in Brazil, that included mental health clinics and community services distributed throughout the country. This generates local support for mental health rehabilitation, integrating psychiatric care, family support and education/work opportunities. These clinics and community services are tailored to provide care for each specific area, and are more attuned to regional culture, values and neighborhood infrastructure. Here we review existing reports about the Brazilian experience, including advances in public policy on mental health, and challenges posed by the large diversity to the psychosocial rehabilitation. In addition, we show how new digital technologies in general, and computational speech analysis in particular, can contribute to unbiased assessments, resulting in decreased stigma and more effective diagnosis of the mental diseases, with methods that are free of gender, ethnic, or socioeconomic biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Bezerra Mota
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
| | - Juliana Pimenta
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria Tavares
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Palmeira
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Andrade Loch
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias (LIM 27), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Biomarcadores em Neuropsiquiatria (INBION), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico, Brazil
| | - Cecília Hedin-Pereira
- Vice-Presidência de Pesquisa e Coleções Biológicas (VPPCB), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elisa C Dias
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
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24
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Hauglid MK. What's That Noise? Interpreting Algorithmic Interpretation of Human Speech as a Legal and Ethical Challenge. Schizophr Bull 2022; 48:960-962. [PMID: 35212380 PMCID: PMC9434421 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathias K Hauglid
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; P.O. Box 6050 Langnes, 9037 Tromsø, Norway; tel: +47-970-75-055, e-mail:
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Crema C, Attardi G, Sartiano D, Redolfi A. Natural language processing in clinical neuroscience and psychiatry: A review. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:946387. [PMID: 36186874 PMCID: PMC9515453 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.946387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural language processing (NLP) is rapidly becoming an important topic in the medical community. The ability to automatically analyze any type of medical document could be the key factor to fully exploit the data it contains. Cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) architectures, particularly machine learning and deep learning, have begun to be applied to this topic and have yielded promising results. We conducted a literature search for 1,024 papers that used NLP technology in neuroscience and psychiatry from 2010 to early 2022. After a selection process, 115 papers were evaluated. Each publication was classified into one of three categories: information extraction, classification, and data inference. Automated understanding of clinical reports in electronic health records has the potential to improve healthcare delivery. Overall, the performance of NLP applications is high, with an average F1-score and AUC above 85%. We also derived a composite measure in the form of Z-scores to better compare the performance of NLP models and their different classes as a whole. No statistical differences were found in the unbiased comparison. Strong asymmetry between English and non-English models, difficulty in obtaining high-quality annotated data, and train biases causing low generalizability are the main limitations. This review suggests that NLP could be an effective tool to help clinicians gain insights from medical reports, clinical research forms, and more, making NLP an effective tool to improve the quality of healthcare services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Crema
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Daniele Sartiano
- Istituto di Informatica e Telematica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alberto Redolfi
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
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Hitczenko K, Cowan HR, Goldrick M, Mittal VA. Racial and Ethnic Biases in Computational Approaches to Psychopathology. Schizophr Bull 2021; 48:285-288. [PMID: 34729605 PMCID: PMC8886581 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kasia Hitczenko
- Department of Linguistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Linguistics, Northwestern University, 2016 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; tel: 847-491-5831, fax: 847-491-3770, e-mail:
| | - Henry R Cowan
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Matthew Goldrick
- Department of Linguistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA,Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston/Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vijay A Mittal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston/Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA,Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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27
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Palaniyappan L. Dissecting the neurobiology of linguistic disorganisation and impoverishment in schizophrenia. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 129:47-60. [PMID: 34507903 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia provides a quintessential disease model of how disturbances in the molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopment lead to disruptions in the emergence of cognition. The central and often persistent feature of this illness is the disorganisation and impoverishment of language and related expressive behaviours. Though clinically more prominent, the periodic perceptual distortions characterised as psychosis are non-specific and often episodic. While several insights into psychosis have been gained based on study of the dopaminergic system, the mechanistic basis of linguistic disorganisation and impoverishment is still elusive. Key findings from cellular to systems-level studies highlight the role of ubiquitous, inhibitory processes in language production. Dysregulation of these processes at critical time periods, in key brain areas, provides a surprisingly parsimonious account of linguistic disorganisation and impoverishment in schizophrenia. This review links the notion of excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance at cortical microcircuits to the expression of language behaviour characteristic of schizophrenia, through the building blocks of neurochemistry, neurophysiology, and neurocognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Palaniyappan
- Department of Psychiatry,University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Robarts Research Institute,University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
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