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Vai B, Calesella F, Pelucchi A, Riberto M, Poletti S, Bechi M, Cavallaro R, Francesco B. Adverse childhood experiences differently affect Theory of Mind brain networks in schizophrenia and healthy controls. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 172:81-89. [PMID: 38367321 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.02.034] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia (SZ) show impairments in both affective and cognitive dimensions of theory of mind (ToM). SZ are also particularly vulnerable to detrimental effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACE), influencing the overall course of the disorder and fostering poor social functioning. ACE associate with long-lasting detrimental effects on brain structure, function, and connectivity in regions involved in ToM. Here, we investigated whether ToM networks are differentially affected by ACEs in healthy controls (HC) and SZ, and if these effects can predict the disorder clinical outcome. 26 HC and 33 SZ performed a ToM task during an fMRI session. Whole-brain functional response and connectivity (FC) were extracted, investigating the interaction between ACEs and diagnosis. FC values significantly affected by ACEs were entered in a cross-validated LASSO regression predicting Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and task performance. ACEs and diagnosis showed a widespread interaction at both affective and cognitive tasks, including connectivity between vmPFC, ACC, precentral and postcentral gyri, insula, PCC, precuneus, parahippocampal gyrus, temporal pole, thalamus, and cerebellum, and functional response in the ACC, thalamus, parahippocampal gyrus and putamen. FC predicted the PANSS score, the fantasy dimension of IRI, and the AToM response latency. Our results highlight the crucial role of early stress in differentially shaping ToM related brain networks in HC and SZ. These effects can also partially explain the clinical and behavioral outcomes of the disorder, extending our knowledge of the effects of ACEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Vai
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy.
| | - Federico Calesella
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy
| | - Alice Pelucchi
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Martina Riberto
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Poletti
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy
| | - Margherita Bechi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Cavallaro
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Benedetti Francesco
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy
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2
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Meyer K, Hindi Attar C, Fiebig J, Stamm T, Bassett TR, Bauer M, Dannlowski U, Ethofer T, Falkenberg I, Jansen A, Juckel G, Kircher T, Mulert C, Leicht G, Rau A, Ritter D, Ritter P, Trost S, Vogelbacher C, Walter H, Wolter S, Hautzinger M, Bermpohl F. Boosting the Theory of Mind Network: Specific Psychotherapy Increases Neural Correlates of Affective Theory of Mind in Euthymic Bipolar Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:572-580. [PMID: 36087699 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In bipolar disorder, impaired affective theory of mind (aToM) performance and aberrant neural activation in the ToM brain network partly explain social functioning impairments. However, it is not yet known whether psychotherapy of bipolar disorder influences neuroimaging markers of aToM. METHODS In this study, conducted within the multicentric randomized controlled trial of the BipoLife consortium, patients with euthymic bipolar disorder underwent 2 group interventions over 6 months (mean = 28.45 weeks): 1) a specific, cognitive behavioral intervention (specific psychotherapeutic intervention [SEKT]) (n = 31) targeting impulse regulation, ToM, and social skills and 2) an emotion-focused intervention (FEST) (n = 28). To compare the effect of SEKT and FEST on neural correlates of aToM, patients performed an aToM task during functional magnetic resonance imaging before and after interventions (final functional magnetic resonance imaging sample of pre- and postcompleters, SEKT: n = 16; FEST: n = 17). Healthy control subjects (n = 32) were scanned twice with the same time interval. Because ToM was trained in SEKT, we expected an increased ToM network activation in SEKT relative to FEST postintervention. RESULTS Both treatments effectively stabilized patients' euthymic state in terms of affective symptoms, life satisfaction, and global functioning. Confirming our expectations, SEKT patients showed increased neural activation within regions of the ToM network, bilateral temporoparietal junction, posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus, whereas FEST patients did not. CONCLUSIONS The stabilizing effect of SEKT on clinical outcomes went along with increased neural activation of the ToM network, while FEST possibly exerted its positive effect by other, yet unexplored routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Catherine Hindi Attar
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jana Fiebig
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Stamm
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Clinical Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Tyler R Bassett
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Ethofer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Irina Falkenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Core-Facility Brain Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Georg Juckel
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL, University Hospital, Bochum, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Mulert
- Center for Psychiatry, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany; Center for Psychiatry, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gregor Leicht
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anne Rau
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dirk Ritter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Philipp Ritter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sarah Trost
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Universitäre Altersmedizin FELIX PLATTER, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Wolter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Hautzinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Felix Bermpohl
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Tantchik W, Green MJ, Quidé Y, Erk S, Mohnke S, Wackerhagen C, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Tost H, Schwarz K, Moessnang C, Bzdok D, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Heinz A, Walter H. Investigating the neural correlates of affective mentalizing and their association with general intelligence in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2023; 254:190-198. [PMID: 36921404 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.02.004] [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: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Mentalizing impairment in schizophrenia has been linked to altered neural responses. This study aimed to replicate previous findings of altered activation of the mentalizing network in schizophrenia and investigate its possible association with impaired domain-general cognition. STUDY DESIGN We analyzed imaging data from two large multi-centric German studies including 64 patients, 64 matched controls and a separate cohort of 300 healthy subjects, as well as an independent Australian study including 46 patients and 61 controls. All subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing the same affective mentalizing task and completed a cognitive assessment battery. Group differences in activation of the mentalizing network were assessed by classical as well as Bayesian two-sample t-tests. Multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate effects of neurocognitive measures on activation of the mentalizing network. STUDY RESULTS We found no significant group differences in activation of the mentalizing network. Bayes factors indicate that these results provide genuine evidence for the null hypothesis. We found a positive association between verbal intelligence and activation of the medial prefrontal cortex, a key region of the mentalizing network, in three independent samples. Finally, individuals with low verbal intelligence showed altered activation in areas previously implicated in mentalizing dysfunction in schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS Mentalizing activation in patients with schizophrenia might not differ compared to large well-matched groups of healthy controls. Verbal intelligence is an important confounding variable in group comparisons, which should be considered in future studies of the neural correlates of mentalizing dysfunction in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wladimir Tantchik
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Melissa J Green
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Yann Quidé
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Susanne Erk
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Mohnke
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carolin Wackerhagen
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Romanczuk-Seiferth
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Heike Tost
- Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Kristina Schwarz
- Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0G4, Canada; Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, 6666 Rue Saint-Urbain, #200, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3H1, Canada
| | | | - Andreas Heinz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Schuler M, Mohnke S, Amelung T, Beier KM, Walter M, Ponseti J, Schiffer B, Kruger THC, Walter H. Neural processing associated with Cognitive Empathy in Pedophilia and Child Sexual Offending. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:712-722. [PMID: 34907428 PMCID: PMC9340114 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral studies found evidence for superior cognitive empathy (CE) in pedophilic men without a history of child sexual offending (P-CSO) compared to pedophilic men with a history of CSO (P+CSO). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies also point to differences between P-CSO and P+CSO. Neural processing associated with CE has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the neural correlates of CE in subjects with pedophilia with (P+CSO) and without (P-CSO) child sexual offending. 15 P+CSO, 15 P-CSO, and 24 teleiophilic male controls (TC) performed a CE task during fMRI. We observed reduced activation in the left precuneus (Pcu) and increased activation in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in P-CSO compared to P+CSO. P-CSO also showed stronger connectivity between these regions, which might reflect a top-down modulation of the Pcu by the ACC toward an increased self-focused emotional reaction in social situations. There was also evidence for increased right superior temporal gyrus activation in P-CSO that might constitute a potentially compensatory recruitment due to the dampened Pcu activation. These findings provide first evidence for altered neural processing of CE in P-CSO and underline the importance of addressing CE in pedophilia and CSO in order to uncover processes relevant to effective prevention of child sexual abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Schuler
- Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine
| | - Sebastian Mohnke
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Amelung
- Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine
| | - Klaus M Beier
- Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine
| | - Martin Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany.,Department for Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jorge Ponseti
- Department for Integrative Psychiatry, Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Boris Schiffer
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Tillmann H C Kruger
- Divison of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine. Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Dodell-Feder D, Tully LM, Dudek E, Hooker CI. The representation of mental state information in schizophrenia and first-degree relatives: a multivariate pattern analysis of fMRI data. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:608-620. [PMID: 33686409 PMCID: PMC8138087 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (SSD) and those at familial high risk (FHR) for SSDs experience social difficulties that are related to neural abnormalities in the network of brain regions recruited during theory of mind (ToM). Prior work with these groups has focused almost exclusively on characterizing the involvement of these regions in ToM. Here, we examine the representational content of these regions using multivariate pattern analysis. We analyzed two previously collected datasets of SSD, FHR and control participants who, while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging, completed the false-belief task in which they read stories describing beliefs or physical representations (e.g. photographs). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in regions of interest to evaluate group differences in task-based activation and representational content, respectively. Compared to non-SSDs, SSDs showed reduced decoding accuracy for the category of mental states in the right temporo-parietal junction—which was related to false-belief accuracy—and the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) and reduced involvement of DMPFC for mental state understanding. FHR showed no differences in decoding accuracy or involvement compared to non-FHR. Given prior studies of disrupted neural involvement in FHR and the lack of decoding differences observed here, the onset of illness may involve processes that corrupt how mental state information is represented.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dodell-Feder
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Laura M Tully
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA
| | - Emily Dudek
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Christine I Hooker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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6
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Daedelow LS, Beck A, Romund L, Mascarell-Maricic L, Dziobek I, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Wüstenberg T, Heinz A. Neural correlates of RDoC-specific cognitive processes in a high-functional autistic patient: a statistically validated case report. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:845-859. [PMID: 34003357 PMCID: PMC8205905 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02352-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The level of functioning of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) varies widely. To better understand the neurobiological mechanism associated with high-functioning ASD, we studied the rare case of a female patient with an exceptional professional career in the highly competitive academic field of Mathematics. According to the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach, which proposes to describe the basic dimensions of functioning by integrating different levels of information, we conducted four fMRI experiments targeting the (1) social processes domain (Theory of mind (ToM) and face matching), (2) positive valence domain (reward processing), and (3) cognitive domain (N-back). Patient’s data were compared to data of 14 healthy controls (HC). Additionally, we assessed the subjective experience of our case during the experiments. The patient showed increased response times during face matching and achieved a higher total gain in the Reward task, whereas her performance in N-back and ToM was similar to HC. Her brain function differed mainly in the positive valence and cognitive domains. During reward processing, she showed reduced activity in a left-hemispheric frontal network and cortical midline structures but increased connectivity within this network. During the working memory task patients’ brain activity and connectivity in left-hemispheric temporo-frontal regions were elevated. In the ToM task, activity in posterior cingulate cortex and temporo-parietal junction was reduced. We suggest that the high level of functioning in our patient is rather related to the effects in brain connectivity than to local cortical information processing and that subjective report provides a fruitful framework for interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S Daedelow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Beck
- Health and Medical University Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lydia Romund
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lea Mascarell-Maricic
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Humboldt-University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Romanczuk-Seiferth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Torsten Wüstenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychological Institute, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Hauptstr. 47-51, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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7
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Vucurovic K, Caillies S, Kaladjian A. Neural Correlates of Mentalizing in Individuals With Clinical High Risk for Schizophrenia: ALE Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:634015. [PMID: 33959048 PMCID: PMC8095711 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.634015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychotic disorder refers to a spectrum of disorders that have multiple etiologies, due to the complex interaction of biological and genetic vulnerability with familial and cultural factors. A clinical high risk (CHR) for schizophrenia is defined as the presence of brief, attenuated, or intermittent psychotic symptoms in non-schizophrenic individuals. The transition to schizophrenia appears significantly more frequent in this at-risk population than in the general population. Moreover, the ability to attribute mental states to others, known as mentalizing or theory of mind, and its neural correlates found in individuals with CHR are similar to those described in patients with schizophrenia. We have therefore explored neurofunctional correlates of mentalizing in individuals with CHR vs. healthy controls, in order to identify the differences in brain activation. A neural coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of existing neuroimaging data revealed that three regions displayed decreased activation in individuals with CHR, compared with healthy controls: the right temporoparietal junction, the right middle temporal gyrus, and the left precuneus. These results, combined with those in the literature, further support the hypothesis that abnormal activation of posterior brain regions involved in mentalizing correlates with psychotic symptoms in help-seeking individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenija Vucurovic
- Laboratory Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S), Department of Psychology, University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims, France
- Centre Rémois de Psychothérapie et Neuromodulation, Reims, France
| | - Stéphanie Caillies
- Laboratory Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S), Department of Psychology, University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Arthur Kaladjian
- Laboratory Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S), Department of Psychology, University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims, France
- Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, CHU de Reims, EPSM Marne, Reims, France
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8
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Hyperfunctioning of the right posterior superior temporal sulcus in response to neutral facial expressions presents an endophenotype of schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1346-1352. [PMID: 32059228 PMCID: PMC7297989 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0637-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in social cognition have been proposed as a marker of schizophrenia. Growing evidence suggests especially hyperfunctioning of the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) in response to neutral social stimuli reflecting the neural correlates of social-cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. We characterized healthy participants according to schizotypy (n = 74) and the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1344706 in ZNF804A (n = 73), as they represent risk variants for schizophrenia from the perspectives of personality traits and genetics, respectively. A social-cognitive fMRI task was applied to investigate the association of right pSTS hyperfunctioning in response to neutral face stimuli with schizotypy and rs1344706. Higher right pSTS activation in response to neutral facial expressions was found in individuals with increased positive (trend) and disorganization symptoms, as well as in carriers of the risk allele of rs1344706. In addition, a positive association between right-left pSTS connectivity and disorganization symptoms during neutral face processing was revealed. Although these findings warrant replication, we suggest that right pSTS hyperfunctioning in response to neutral facial expressions presents an endophenotype of schizophrenia. We assume that right pSTS hyperfunctioning is a vulnerability to perceive neutral social stimuli as emotionally or intentionally salient, probably contributing to the emergence of symptoms of schizophrenia.
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9
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Kozhuharova P, Saviola F, Ettinger U, Allen P. Neural correlates of social cognition in populations at risk of psychosis: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:94-111. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Vucurovic K, Caillies S, Kaladjian A. Neural correlates of theory of mind and empathy in schizophrenia: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 120:163-174. [PMID: 31689587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition impairment predicts social functioning in schizophrenia. Several studies have found abnormal brain activation in patients with schizophrenia during social cognition tasks. Nevertheless, no coordinate-based meta-analysis comparing the neural correlates of theory of mind and empathy had been done in this population. Our aim was to explore neural correlates related to theory of mind and empathy in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls, in order to identify abnormal brain activation related to emotional content during mental state attribution in schizophrenia. We performed a neural-coordinate-based Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of existing neuroimaging data in the literature to distinguish between abnormal brain maps associated with emotional attribution and those associated with intention/belief inference. We found that brain activation in patients group was significantly decreased in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) during emotional attribution, while there was a significant decrease in the left posterior temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during intention/belief attribution. Using a meta-analytic connectivity modeling approach (MACM), we demonstrated that both regions are coactivated with other brain regions known to play a role in social cognition, including the bilateral anterior insula, right TPJ, left amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In addition, abnormal activation in both the left TPJ and right VLPFC was previously reported in association with verbal-auditory hallucinations and a "jumping to conclusions" cognitive bias. Thus, these regions could be valuable targets for therapeutic interventions in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenija Vucurovic
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France.
| | - Stéphanie Caillies
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France
| | - Arthur Kaladjian
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Reims, France
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Bartholomeusz CF, Ganella EP, Whittle S, Allott K, Thompson A, Abu-Akel A, Walter H, McGorry P, Killackey E, Pantelis C, Wood SJ. An fMRI study of theory of mind in individuals with first episode psychosis. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 281:1-11. [PMID: 30212786 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM), the ability to infer one's own and others' mental states, is the social cognitive process shown to have the greatest impact on functional outcome in schizophrenia. It is not yet known if neural abnormalities underlying ToM present early, during the first episode of psychosis (FEP). Fourteen FEP participants and twenty-two healthy control participants, aged 15-25, were included in analyses. All participants had a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scan and completed a block-design picture-story attribution-of-intentions ToM fMRI task, and completed a battery of behavioral social cognitive measures including a ToM task. General linear model analyses were carried out. Post-hoc regression analyses were conducted to explore whether aberrant ToM-related activation in FEP participants was associated with symptomatology and global social and occupational functioning. FEP participants, when compared to healthy controls, had significantly less activity in the right temporoparietal junction, right orbitofrontal cortex and left middle prefrontal/inferior frontal cortex, when making social attributions. Aberrant ToM-related activation in the right temporoparietal junction was associated with severity of overall psychopathology, but not functional outcome. Specific regions of the social brain network, associated with ToM, are dysfunctional in young people with FEP. Future research should determine whether alteration of normal brain functioning in relation to ToM occurs before or during illness onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cali F Bartholomeusz
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Eleni P Ganella
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kelly Allott
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Thompson
- Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Ahmad Abu-Akel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Henrik Walter
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Berlin University of Medicine, corporate member of Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrick McGorry
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eóin Killackey
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Neural Engineering (CfNE), Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia; Florey Institute for Neuroscience & Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen J Wood
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville 3053, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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12
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Dopamine-dependent social information processing in non-human primates. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1141-1149. [PMID: 29332256 PMCID: PMC5869898 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4831-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Dopamine (DA) is a neurotransmitter whose roles have been suggested in various aspects of brain functions. Recent studies in rodents have reported its roles in social function. However, how DA is involved in social information processing in primates has largely remained unclear. OBJECTIVES We investigated prefrontal cortical (PFC) activities associated with social vs. nonsocial visual stimulus processing. METHODS Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was applied to Japanese macaques, along with pharmacological manipulations of DA transmission, while they were gazing at social and nonsocial visual stimuli. RESULTS Oxygenated (oxy-Hb) and deoxygenated (deoxy-Hb) hemoglobin changes as well as functional connectivity based on such Hb changes within the PFC network which were distinct between social and nonsocial stimuli were observed. Administration of both D1 and D2 receptor antagonists affected the Hb changes associated with social stimuli, whereas D1, but not D2, receptor antagonist affected the Hb changes associated with nonsocial stimuli. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that mesocortical DA transmission in the PFC plays significant roles in social information processing, which involves both D1 and D2 receptor activation, in nonhuman primates. However, D1 and D2 receptor signaling in the PFC mediates different aspects of social vs. nonsocial information processing.
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Quidé Y, Ong XH, Mohnke S, Schnell K, Walter H, Carr VJ, Green MJ. Childhood trauma-related alterations in brain function during a Theory-of-Mind task in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2017; 189:162-168. [PMID: 28215391 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Childhood trauma is a risk factor for schizophrenia that affects brain functions associated with higher cognitive processes, including social cognition. Alterations in Theory-of-Mind (ToM), or mentalizing skills, are a hallmark feature of schizophrenia, and are also evident in individuals exposed to childhood trauma. However, the impact of childhood trauma exposure on brain function during social cognition in schizophrenia remains unclear. We thus examined the association between childhood trauma and brain function during the performance of a ToM task in 47 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. All participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an established visual-cartoon affective ToM task. Whole-brain multiple regression analysis was performed on ToM-related brain activation, with CTQ total score as regressor of interest, while accounting for the effects of age, sex, diagnosis, symptom severity, behavioural performance, intelligence and medications levels. First, using a small-volume correction approach within a mask made of key regions for ToM [including bilateral temporo-parietal junctions (TPJ), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus], total CTQ scores were positively associated with activation of the PCC/precuneus. Second, exploratory analyses for the rest of the brain (i.e., ROIs masked-out), revealed a positive association between trauma exposure and activation of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and a negative association with activation of the anterior section of the TPJ. These results suggest that childhood trauma exposure may, at least partially, contribute to functional alterations of brain regions essential for effective mental state inference in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Quidé
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales Research Unit for Schizophrenia Epidemiology Randwick, NSW Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
| | - Xin H Ong
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Sebastian Mohnke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Knut Schnell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vaughan J Carr
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales Research Unit for Schizophrenia Epidemiology Randwick, NSW Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Melissa J Green
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales Research Unit for Schizophrenia Epidemiology Randwick, NSW Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia; ARC Centre for Cognition and its Disorders (CCD), Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Martin AK, Dzafic I, Robinson GA, Reutens D, Mowry B. Mentalizing in schizophrenia: A multivariate functional MRI study. Neuropsychologia 2016; 93:158-166. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Bicks LK, Koike H, Akbarian S, Morishita H. Prefrontal Cortex and Social Cognition in Mouse and Man. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1805. [PMID: 26635701 PMCID: PMC4659895 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 316] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Social cognition is a complex process that requires the integration of a wide variety of behaviors, including salience, reward-seeking, motivation, knowledge of self and others, and flexibly adjusting behavior in social groups. Not surprisingly, social cognition represents a sensitive domain commonly disrupted in the pathology of a variety of psychiatric disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Schizophrenia (SCZ). Here, we discuss convergent research from animal models to human disease that implicates the prefrontal cortex (PFC) as a key regulator in social cognition, suggesting that disruptions in prefrontal microcircuitry play an essential role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders with shared social deficits. We take a translational perspective of social cognition, and review three key behaviors that are essential to normal social processing in rodents and humans, including social motivation, social recognition, and dominance hierarchy. A shared prefrontal circuitry may underlie these behaviors. Social cognition deficits in animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders like ASD and SCZ have been linked to an altered balance of excitation and inhibition (E/I ratio) within the cortex generally, and PFC specifically. A clear picture of the mechanisms by which altered E/I ratio in the PFC might lead to disruptions of social cognition across a variety of behaviors is not well understood. Future studies should explore how disrupted developmental trajectory of prefrontal microcircuitry could lead to altered E/I balance and subsequent deficits in the social domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy K Bicks
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Koike
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA
| | - Hirofumi Morishita
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA ; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY, USA
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