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Maitra R, Lemmers-Jansen ILJ, Vooren M, Vanes L, Szentgyorgyi T, Crisp C, Mouchlianitis E, Shergill SS. Understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive control in psychosis. Psychol Med 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38780379 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724001119] [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] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive control (CC) involves a top-down mechanism to flexibly respond to complex stimuli and is impaired in schizophrenia. METHODS This study investigated the impact of increasing complexity of CC processing in 140 subjects with psychosis and 39 healthy adults, with assessments of behavioral performance, neural regions of interest and symptom severity. RESULTS The lowest level of CC (Stroop task) was impaired in all patients; the intermediate level of CC (Faces task) with explicit emotional information was most impaired in patients with first episode psychosis. Patients showed activation of distinct neural CC and reward networks, but iterative learning based on the higher-order of CC during the trust game, was most impaired in chronic schizophrenia. Subjects with first episode psychosis, and patients with lower symptom load, demonstrate flexibility of the CC network to facilitate learning, which appeared compromised in the more chronic stages of schizophrenia. CONCLUSION These data suggest optimal windows for opportunities to introduce therapeutic interventions to improve CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Maitra
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - I L J Lemmers-Jansen
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (iBBA), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - M Vooren
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Educational Studies, Section Methods and Statistics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- LEARN! Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Center for Learning Analytics (ACLA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lucy Vanes
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Timea Szentgyorgyi
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Charlotte Crisp
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Elias Mouchlianitis
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - S S Shergill
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Kent and Medway Medical School, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
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Tully LM, Blendermann M, Fine JR, Zakskorn LN, Fritz M, Hamlett GE, Lamb ST, Moody AK, Ng J, Parakul N, Ritter BM, Rahim R, Yu G, Taylor SL. The SocialVidStim: a video database of positive and negative social evaluation stimuli for use in social cognitive neuroscience paradigms. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae024. [PMID: 38597895 PMCID: PMC11015894 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper describes the SocialVidStim-a database of video stimuli available to the scientific community depicting positive and negative social evaluative and neutral statements. The SocialVidStim comprises 53 diverse individuals reflecting the demographic makeup of the USA, ranging from 9 to 41 years old, saying 20-60 positive and 20-60 negative social evaluative statements (e.g. 'You are a very trustworthy/annoying person'), and 20-60 neutral statements (e.g. 'The sky is blue'), totaling 5793 videos post-production. The SocialVidStim are designed for use in behavioral and functional magetic resonance imaging paradigms, across developmental stages, in diverse populations. This study describes stimuli development and reports initial validity and reliability data on a subset videos (N = 1890) depicting individuals aged 18-41 years. Raters perceive videos as expected: positive videos elicit positively valenced ratings, negative videos elicit negatively valenced ratings and neutral videos are rated as neutral. Test-retest reliability data demonstrate intraclass correlations in the good-to-excellent range for negative and positive videos and the moderate range for neutral videos. We also report small effects on valence and arousal that should be considered during stimuli selection, including match between rater and actor sex and actor believability. The SocialVidStim is a resource for researchers and we offer suggestions for using the SocialVidStim in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Tully
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Mary Blendermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Fine
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Lauren N Zakskorn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Matilda Fritz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Gabriella E Hamlett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Shannon T Lamb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Anna K Moody
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Julenne Ng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Narimes Parakul
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Bryn M Ritter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Raisa Rahim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Grace Yu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Sandra L Taylor
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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Le Merrer J, Detraux B, Gandía J, De Groote A, Fonteneau M, de Kerchove d'Exaerde A, Becker JAJ. Balance Between Projecting Neuronal Populations of the Nucleus Accumbens Controls Social Behavior in Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:123-135. [PMID: 37207936 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficient social interactions are a hallmark of major neuropsychiatric disorders, and accumulating evidence points to altered social reward and motivation as key underlying mechanisms of these pathologies. In the present study, we further explored the role of the balance of activity between D1 and D2 receptor-expressing striatal projection neurons (D1R- and D2R-SPNs) in the control of social behavior, challenging the hypothesis that excessive D2R-SPN activity, rather than deficient D1R-SPN activity, compromises social behavior. METHODS We selectively ablated D1R- and D2R-SPNs using an inducible diphtheria toxin receptor-mediated cell targeting strategy and assessed social behavior as well as repetitive/perseverative behavior, motor function, and anxiety levels. We tested the effects of optogenetic stimulation of D2R-SPNs in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and pharmacological compounds repressing D2R-SPN. RESULTS Targeted deletion of D1R-SPNs in the NAc blunted social behavior in mice, facilitated motor skill learning, and increased anxiety levels. These behaviors were normalized by pharmacological inhibition of D2R-SPN, which also repressed transcription in the efferent nucleus, the ventral pallidum. Ablation of D1R-SPNs in the dorsal striatum had no impact on social behavior but impaired motor skill learning and decreased anxiety levels. Deletion of D2R-SPNs in the NAc produced motor stereotypies but facilitated social behavior and impaired motor skill learning. We mimicked excessive D2R-SPN activity by optically stimulating D2R-SPNs in the NAc and observed a severe deficit in social interaction that was prevented by D2R-SPN pharmacological inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Repressing D2R-SPN activity may represent a promising therapeutic strategy to relieve social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Le Merrer
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7247, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement 0085, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France; iBrain, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1253 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, Tours, France.
| | - Bérangère Detraux
- Neurophy Lab, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jorge Gandía
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7247, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement 0085, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Aurélie De Groote
- Neurophy Lab, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Fonteneau
- iBrain, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1253 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Alban de Kerchove d'Exaerde
- Neurophy Lab, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; WELBIO, Wavre, Belgium.
| | - Jérôme A J Becker
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7247, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement 0085, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France; iBrain, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1253 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, Tours, France
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4
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Merchant JT, Barch DM, Ermel JA, Moran EK, Butler PD. Differential deficits in social versus monetary reinforcement learning in schizophrenia: Associations with facial emotion recognition. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2024; 133:37-47. [PMID: 38010759 PMCID: PMC10842228 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Despite evidence that individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) have an intact desire for social relationships, they have small social networks and report high levels of loneliness. Difficulty with reinforcement learning (RL), the ability to update behavior based on feedback, may inhibit the formation and maintenance of social relationships in SZ. However, impaired RL in SZ has largely been demonstrated via monetary tasks. Thus, it remains unclear whether SZ are similarly impaired in social and monetary RL, or whether social-specific factors may further inhibit their ability to learn from social feedback. Thirty-one individuals with SZ and 31 healthy controls (HCs) participated in a RL paradigm to test hypotheses about social versus monetary RL. SZ exhibited impaired RL compared to HCs in both social and monetary tasks. Further, a Group × Task interaction demonstrated that SZ was more impaired when learning from social than monetary reinforcement, F(1, 59) = 5.99, p = .017. This differential deficit to social RL was not accounted for by reported pleasure from social feedback, which did not differ between groups. Instead, SZ had poorer emotion recognition than HCs, t(1, 60) = 4.80, p < .001, particularly for negative emotions, and controlling for this eliminated the differential social RL impairment. These results suggest the possibility that difficulty recognizing social cues, especially those indicating negative feedback, may relate to a reduced ability to learn from others' feedback. Thus, future research could elucidate whether targeting these emotion recognition difficulties in treatment could serve as a potential mechanism for improving social functioning in SZ. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaisal T Merchant
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Julia A Ermel
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Erin K Moran
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Pamela D Butler
- Department of Clinical Research, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
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5
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Grave J, Madeira N, Morais S, Rodrigues P, Soares SC. Emotional interference and attentional control in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: The special case of neutral faces. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2023; 81:101892. [PMID: 37429124 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101892] [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: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) are characterized by impaired emotion processing and attention. SSD patients are more sensitive to the presence of emotional distractors. But despite growing interest on the emotion-attention interplay, emotional interference in SSD is far from fully understood. Moreover, research to date has not established the link between emotional interference and attentional control in SSD. This study thus aimed to investigate the effects of facial expression and attentional control in SSD, by manipulating perceptual load. METHODS Twenty-two SSD patients and 22 healthy controls performed a target-letter discrimination task with task-irrelevant angry, happy, and neutral faces. Target-letter was presented among homogenous (low load) or heterogenous (high load) distractor-letters. Accuracy and RT were analysed using (generalized) linear mixed-effect models. RESULTS Accuracy was significantly lower in SSD patients than controls, regardless of perceptual load and facial expression. Concerning RT, SSD patients were significantly slower than controls in the presence of neutral faces, but only at high load. No group differences were observed for angry and happy faces. LIMITATIONS Heterogeneity of SSD, small sample size, lack of clinical control group, medication. CONCLUSIONS One possible explanation is that neutral faces captured exogenous attention to a greater extent in SSD, thus challenging attentional control in perceptually demanding conditions. This may reflect abnormal processing of neutral faces in SSD. If replicated, these findings will help to understand the interplay between exogenous attention, attentional control, and emotion processing in SSD, which may unravel the mechanism underlying socioemotional dysfunction in SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Grave
- William James Center for Research (WJCR-Aveiro), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS@RISE), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Nuno Madeira
- Psychiatry Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal; Institute of Psychological Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBIT-Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; CACC-Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sofia Morais
- Psychiatry Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal; Institute of Psychological Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBIT-Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; CACC-Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paulo Rodrigues
- Department of Psychology and Education, University of Beira Interior, Estrada do Sineiro, 6200-209 Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Sandra C Soares
- William James Center for Research (WJCR-Aveiro), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Social motivation, defined as the fundamental human desire to seek out, engage in, and maintain interpersonal bonds, has become a growing area of research in schizophrenia. The major focus has been on understanding the impact of social reward-related processes. An obvious but rarely acknowledged fact is that social interactions, much like other goal-directed acts, require the exertion of effort. In this Review Article, we argue that social motivation in schizophrenia can be conceptualized through the lens of an established framework: effort-based decision-making (EBDM). STUDY DESIGN We conducted a literature review on social reward processing in schizophrenia, then extended these findings by applying concepts and insights from the literature on EBDM to the study of social motivation. STUDY RESULTS Within the EBDM framework, decisions about whether or not to pursue social interactions are bound by cost/benefit calculations. That is, people do not pursue social behaviors when the estimated "cost" of the required effort outweighs the anticipated "benefit" or reward. We propose that people with schizophrenia are less likely to engage in social interaction compared with healthy samples because they: (1) underestimate the benefits of relationships (based on expectations of reward/punishment), (2) overestimate the effort costs associated with social interaction, and/or (3) fail to integrate cost-benefit information in an optimal manner. CONCLUSIONS EBDM is an especially promising framework of social motivation that goes beyond the current focus on social reward processing to include a focus on effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren T Catalano
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael F Green
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Hackett J, Nadkarni V, Singh RS, Carthy CL, Antigua S, Hall BS, Rajadhyaksha AM. Repeat investigation during social preference behavior is suppressed in male mice with prefrontal cortex cacna1c (Ca v1.2)-deficiency through the dysregulation of neural dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.24.546368. [PMID: 37425963 PMCID: PMC10326975 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.24.546368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in social behavior are observed in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders and several lines of evidence have demonstrated that dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a central role in social deficits. We have previously shown that loss of neuropsychiatric risk gene Cacna1c that codes for the Cav1.2 isoform of L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) in the PFC result in impaired sociability as tested using the three-chamber social approach test. In this study we aimed to further characterize the nature of the social deficit associated with a reduction in PFC Cav1.2 channels (Cav1.2PFCKO mice) by testing male mice in a range of social and nonsocial tests while examining PFC neural activity using in vivo GCaMP6s fiber photometry. We found that during the first investigation of the social and non-social stimulus in the three-chamber test, both Cav1.2PFCKO male mice and Cav1.2PFCGFP controls spent significantly more time with the social stimulus compared to a non-social object. In contrast, during repeat investigations while Cav1.2PFCWT mice continued to spend more time with the social stimulus, Cav1.2PFCKO mice spent equal amount of time with both social and non-social stimuli. Neural activity recordings paralleled social behavior with increase in PFC population activity in Cav1.2PFCWT mice during first and repeat investigations, which was predictive of social preference behavior. In Cav1.2PFCKO mice, there was an increase in PFC activity during first social investigation but not during repeat investigations. These behavioral and neural differences were not observed during a reciprocal social interaction test nor during a forced alternation novelty test. To evaluate a potential deficit in reward-related processes, we tested mice in a three-chamber test wherein the social stimulus was replaced by food. Behavioral testing revealed that both Cav1.2PFCWT and Cav1.2PFCKO mice showed a preference for food over object with significantly greater preference during repeat investigation. Interestingly, there was no increase in PFC activity when Cav1.2PFCWT or Cav1.2PFCKO first investigated the food however activity significantly increased in Cav1.2PFCWT mice during repeat investigations of the food. This was not observed in Cav1.2PFCKO mice. In summary, a reduction in Cav1.2 channels in the PFC suppresses the development of a sustained social preference in mice that is associated with lack of PFC neuronal population activity that may be related to deficits in social reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Hackett
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Viraj Nadkarni
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Ronak S. Singh
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Camille L. Carthy
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Susan Antigua
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Baila S. Hall
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065
| | - Anjali M. Rajadhyaksha
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065
- Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
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Barendse MEA, Lara GA, Guyer AE, Swartz JR, Taylor SL, Shirtcliff EA, Lamb ST, Miller C, Ng J, Yu G, Tully LM. Sex and pubertal influences on the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of schizophrenia: A case for longitudinal research on adolescents. Schizophr Res 2023; 252:231-241. [PMID: 36682313 PMCID: PMC10725041 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Sex is a significant source of heterogeneity in schizophrenia, with more negative symptoms in males and more affective symptoms and internalizing comorbidity in females. In this narrative review, we argue that there are likely sex differences in the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SZ) that originate during puberty and relate to the sex-specific impacts of pubertal maturation on brain development. Pubertal maturation might also trigger underlying (genetic or other) vulnerabilities in at-risk individuals, influencing brain development trajectories that contribute to the emergence of SZ. This review is the first to integrate links between pubertal development and neural development with cognitive neuroscience research in SZ to form and evaluate these hypotheses, with a focus on the frontal-striatal and frontal-limbic networks and their hypothesized contribution to negative and mood symptoms respectively. To test these hypotheses, longitudinal research with human adolescents is needed that examines the role of sex and pubertal development using large cohorts or high risk samples. We provide recommendations for such studies, which will integrate the fields of psychiatry, developmental cognitive neuroscience, and developmental endocrinology towards a more nuanced understanding of the role of pubertal factors in the hypothesized sex-specific pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E A Barendse
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - G A Lara
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - A E Guyer
- Department of Human Ecology, UC Davis, CA, USA; Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - J R Swartz
- Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - S L Taylor
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - E A Shirtcliff
- Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - S T Lamb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - C Miller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - J Ng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - G Yu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - L M Tully
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA.
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9
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Le TP, Green MF, Lee J, Clayson PE, Jimenez AM, Reavis EA, Wynn JK, Horan WP. Aberrant reward processing to positive versus negative outcomes across psychotic disorders. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 156:1-7. [PMID: 36201975 PMCID: PMC10163955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.09.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Several studies of reward processing in schizophrenia have shown reduced sensitivity to positive, but not negative, outcomes although inconsistencies have been reported. In addition, few studies have investigated whether patients show a relative deficit to social versus nonsocial rewards, whether deficits occur across the spectrum of psychosis, or whether deficits relate to negative symptoms and functioning. This study examined probabilistic implicit learning via two visually distinctive slot machines for social and nonsocial rewards in 101 outpatients with diverse psychotic disorders and 48 community controls. The task consisted of two trial types: positive (optimal to choose a positive vs. neutral machine) and negative (optimal to choose a neutral vs. negative machine), with two reward conditions: social (faces) and nonsocial (money) reward conditions. A significant group X trial type interaction indicated that controls performed better on positive than negative trials, whereas patients showed the opposite pattern of better performance on negative than positive trials. In addition, both groups performed better for social than nonsocial stimuli, despite lower overall task performance in patients. Within patients, worse performance on negative trials showed significant, small-to-moderate correlations with motivation and pleasure-related negative symptoms and social functioning. The current findings suggest reward processing disturbances, particularly decreased sensitivity to positive outcomes, extend beyond schizophrenia to a broader spectrum of psychotic disorders and relate to important clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh P Le
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Michael F Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Junghee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Peter E Clayson
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Amy M Jimenez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eric A Reavis
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan K Wynn
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - William P Horan
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA; WCG VeraSci, Durham, NC, USA
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Janz P, Bainier M, Marashli S, Schoenenberger P, Valencia M, Redondo RL. Neurexin1α knockout rats display oscillatory abnormalities and sensory processing deficits back-translating key endophenotypes of psychiatric disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:455. [PMID: 36307390 PMCID: PMC9616904 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02224-1] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurexins are presynaptic transmembrane proteins crucial for synapse development and organization. Deletion and missense mutations in all three Neurexin genes have been identified in psychiatric disorders, with mutations in the NRXN1 gene most strongly linked to schizophrenia (SZ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While the consequences of NRXN1 deletion have been extensively studied on the synaptic and behavioral levels, circuit endophenotypes that translate to the human condition have not been characterized yet. Therefore, we investigated the electrophysiology of cortico-striatal-thalamic circuits in Nrxn1α-/- rats and wildtype littermates focusing on a set of translational readouts, including spontaneous oscillatory activity, auditory-evoked oscillations and potentials, as well as mismatch negativity-like (MMN) responses and responses to social stimuli. On the behavioral level Nrxn1α-/- rats showed locomotor hyperactivity. In vivo freely moving electrophysiology revealed pronounced increases of spontaneous oscillatory power within the gamma band in all studied brain areas and elevation of gamma coherence in cortico-striatal and thalamocortical circuits of Nrxn1α-/- rats. In contrast, auditory-evoked oscillations driven by chirp-modulated tones showed reduced power in cortical areas confined to slower oscillations. Finally, Nrxn1α-/- rats exhibited altered auditory evoked-potentials and profound deficits in MMN-like responses, explained by reduced prediction error. Despite deficits for auditory stimuli, responses to social stimuli appeared intact. A central hypothesis for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders is that a disbalance of excitation-to-inhibition is underlying oscillatory and sensory deficits. In a first attempt to explore the impact of inhibitory circuit modulation, we assessed the effects of enhancing tonic inhibition via δ-containing GABAA receptors (using Gaboxadol) on endophenotypes possibly associated with network hyperexcitability. Pharmacological experiments applying Gaboxadol showed genotype-specific differences, but failed to normalize oscillatory or sensory processing abnormalities. In conclusion, our study revealed endophenotypes in Nrxn1α-/- rats that could be used as translational biomarkers for drug development in psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Janz
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Marie Bainier
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Samuel Marashli
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Schoenenberger
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Miguel Valencia
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Universidad de Navarra, CIMA, Program of Neuroscience, 31080 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31080 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.5924.a0000000419370271Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Universidad de Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Roger L. Redondo
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
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11
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Catalano LT, Wynn JK, Green MF, Gold JM. Reduced neural activity when anticipating social versus nonsocial rewards in schizophrenia: Preliminary evidence from an ERP study. Schizophr Res 2022; 246:7-16. [PMID: 35696860 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Diminished social motivation is a core feature of schizophrenia that might reflect disturbances in social reward processing. It is not known whether these disturbances reflect anticipatory ("wanting") and/or consummatory ("liking") pleasure deficits. The primary aim of this study was to examine social versus nonsocial reward processing during these temporally distinct substages using event-related potential (ERP) components. Twenty-three schizophrenia participants and 20 healthy participants completed an incentive delay task with social (i.e., smiling expressions) and nonsocial (i.e., money) rewards. We measured two anticipatory ERPs (i.e., "wanting") (target anticipation: Contingent Negative Variation [CNV]; feedback anticipation: Stimulus Preceding Negativity [SPN]) and one consummatory ERP (i.e., "liking") (feedback receipt: P300). As a secondary aim, we examined correlations between the ERPs and interview-rated motivational negative symptoms and social functioning. Schizophrenia participants showed overall less target anticipation (blunted CNV) across all trials (social and nonsocial) than healthy participants. Importantly, schizophrenia participants exhibited less anticipation of social rewards relative to nonsocial rewards (SPN), whereas healthy participants showed similar anticipation for both reward types. Both groups showed similar responses to social and nonsocial reward receipt (P300). Furthermore, social reward anticipation during the incentive delay task was associated with more social approach behaviors in the real-world. Together, these findings provide preliminary evidence for intact social reward "liking" and impaired "wanting" in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren T Catalano
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
| | - Jonathan K Wynn
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michael F Green
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - James M Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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12
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Zhang D, Shen J, Bi R, Zhang Y, Zhou F, Feng C, Gu R. Differentiating the abnormalities of social and monetary reward processing associated with depressive symptoms. Psychol Med 2022; 52:2080-2094. [PMID: 33143780 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720003967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reward dysfunction is a major dimension of depressive symptomatology, but it remains obscure if that dysfunction varies across different reward types. In this study, we focus on the abnormalities in anticipatory/consummatory processing of monetary and social reward associated with depressive symptoms. METHODS Forty participants with depressive symptoms and forty normal controls completed the monetary incentive delay (MID) and social incentive delay (SID) tasks with event-related potential (ERP) recording. RESULTS In the SID but not the MID task, both the behavioral hit rate and the ERP component contingent negative variation (CNV; indicating reward anticipation) were sensitive to the interaction between the grouping factor and reward magnitude; that is, the depressive group showed a lower hit rate and a smaller CNV to large-magnitude (but not small-magnitude) social reward cues compared to the control group. Further, these two indexes were correlated with each other. Meanwhile, the ERP components feedback-related negativity and P3 (indicating reward consumption) were sensitive to the main effect of depression across the MID and SID tasks, though this effect was more prominent in the SID task. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we suggest that depressive symptoms are associated with deficits in both the reward anticipation and reward consumption stages, particularly for social rewards. These findings have a potential to characterize the profile of functional impairment that comprises and maintains depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Junshi Shen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Rong Bi
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yueyao Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Fang Zhou
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Chunliang Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Ruolei Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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13
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Clayson PE, Wynn JK, Jimenez AM, Reavis EA, Lee J, Green MF, Horan WP. Intact differentiation of responses to socially-relevant emotional stimuli across psychotic disorders: An event-related potential (ERP) study. Schizophr Res 2022; 246:250-257. [PMID: 35843157 PMCID: PMC10413986 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Event-related potential (ERP) studies of motivated attention in schizophrenia typically show intact sensitivity to affective vs. non-affective images depicting diverse types of content. However, it is not known whether this ERP pattern: 1) extends to images that solely depict social content, (2) applies across a broad sample with diverse psychotic disorders, and (3) relates to self-reported trait social anhedonia. We examined late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes to images involving people that were normatively pleasant (affiliative), unpleasant (threatening), or neutral in 97 stable outpatients with various psychotic disorders and 38 healthy controls. Both groups showed enhanced LPP to pleasant and unpleasant vs. neutral images to a similar degree, despite lower overall LPP in patients. Within the patients, there were no significant LPP differences among subgroups (schizophrenia vs. other psychotic disorders; affective vs. non-affective psychosis) for the valence effect (pleasant/unpleasant vs. neutral). Higher social anhedonia showed a small, significant relation to lower LPP to pleasant images across all groups. These findings suggest intact motivated attention to social images extends across psychotic disorder subgroups. Dimensional transdiagnostic analyses revealed a modest association between self-reported trait social anhedonia and an LPP index of neural sensitivity to pleasant affiliative images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter E Clayson
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Jonathan K Wynn
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amy M Jimenez
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eric A Reavis
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Junghee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Michael F Green
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - William P Horan
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; VeraSci, Durham, Durham, NC, USA
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14
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Rethinking delusions: A selective review of delusion research through a computational lens. Schizophr Res 2022; 245:23-41. [PMID: 33676820 PMCID: PMC8413395 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Delusions are rigid beliefs held with high certainty despite contradictory evidence. Notwithstanding decades of research, we still have a limited understanding of the computational and neurobiological alterations giving rise to delusions. In this review, we highlight a selection of recent work in computational psychiatry aimed at developing quantitative models of inference and its alterations, with the goal of providing an explanatory account for the form of delusional beliefs in psychosis. First, we assess and evaluate the experimental paradigms most often used to study inferential alterations in delusions. Based on our review of the literature and theoretical considerations, we contend that classic draws-to-decision paradigms are not well-suited to isolate inferential processes, further arguing that the commonly cited 'jumping-to-conclusion' bias may reflect neither delusion-specific nor inferential alterations. Second, we discuss several enhancements to standard paradigms that show promise in more effectively isolating inferential processes and delusion-related alterations therein. We further draw on our recent work to build an argument for a specific failure mode for delusions consisting of prior overweighting in high-level causal inferences about partially observable hidden states. Finally, we assess plausible neurobiological implementations for this candidate failure mode of delusional beliefs and outline promising future directions in this area.
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15
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Social anhedonia as a Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1-dependent phenotype. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10182. [PMID: 35715502 PMCID: PMC9205858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in social interaction or social cognition are key phenotypes in a variety of chronic mental diseases, yet, their modeling and molecular dissection are only in their infancy. The Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) signaling pathway is considered to play a role in different psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and biopolar disorders. DISC1 is involved in regulating the dopaminergic neurotransmission in, among others, the mesolimbic reward system. A transgenic rat line tgDISC1 has been introduced as a model system to study behavioral phenotypes associated with abnormal DISC1 signaling pathways. Here, we evaluated the impact of impaired DISC1 signaling on social (social interaction) and non-social (sucrose) reward preferences in the tgDISC1 animal model. In a plus-maze setting, rats chose between the opportunity for social interaction with an unfamiliar juvenile conspecific (social reward) or drinking sweet solutions with variable sucrose concentrations (non-social reward). tgDISC1 rats differed from wild-type rats in their social, but not in their non-social reward preferences. Specifically, DISC1 rats showed a lower interest in interaction with the juvenile conspecific, but did not differ from wild-type rats in their preference for higher sucrose concentrations. These results suggest that disruptions of the DISC1 signaling pathway that is associated with altered dopamine transmission in the brain result in selective deficits in social motivation reminiscent of phenotypes seen in neuropsychiatric illness.
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16
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Abram SV, Weittenhiller LP, Bertrand CE, McQuaid JR, Mathalon DH, Ford JM, Fryer SL. Psychological Dimensions Relevant to Motivation and Pleasure in Schizophrenia. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:827260. [PMID: 35401135 PMCID: PMC8985863 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.827260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation and pleasure deficits are common in schizophrenia, strongly linked with poorer functioning, and may reflect underlying alterations in brain functions governing reward processing and goal pursuit. While there is extensive research examining cognitive and reward mechanisms related to these deficits in schizophrenia, less attention has been paid to psychological characteristics that contribute to resilience against, or risk for, motivation and pleasure impairment. For example, psychological tendencies involving positive future expectancies (e.g., optimism) and effective affect management (e.g., reappraisal, mindfulness) are associated with aspects of reward anticipation and evaluation that optimally guide goal-directed behavior. Conversely, maladaptive thinking patterns (e.g., defeatist performance beliefs, asocial beliefs) and tendencies that amplify negative cognitions (e.g., rumination), may divert cognitive resources away from goal pursuit or reduce willingness to exert effort. Additionally, aspects of sociality, including the propensity to experience social connection as positive reinforcement may be particularly relevant for pursuing social goals. In the current review, we discuss the roles of several psychological characteristics with respect to motivation and pleasure in schizophrenia. We argue that individual variation in these psychological dimensions is relevant to the study of motivation and reward processing in schizophrenia, including interactions between these psychological dimensions and more well-characterized cognitive and reward processing contributors to motivation. We close by emphasizing the value of considering a broad set of modulating factors when studying motivation and pleasure functions in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha V. Abram
- Mental Health Service, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Claire E. Bertrand
- Mental Health Service, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - John R. McQuaid
- Mental Health Service, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Daniel H. Mathalon
- Mental Health Service, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Judith M. Ford
- Mental Health Service, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Susanna L. Fryer
- Mental Health Service, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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17
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Hanssen E, van Buuren M, Van Atteveldt N, Lemmers-Jansen ILJ, Fett AKJ. Neural, behavioural and real-life correlates of social context sensitivity and social reward learning during interpersonal interactions in the schizophrenia spectrum. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2022; 56:59-70. [PMID: 34006142 PMCID: PMC8721616 DOI: 10.1177/00048674211010327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recent findings suggest that diminished processing of positive contextual information about others during interactions may contribute to social impairment in the schizophrenia spectrum. This could be due to general social context processing deficits or specific biases against positive information. We studied the impact of positive and negative social contextual information during social interactions using functional neuroimaging and probed whether these neural mechanisms were associated with real-life social functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. METHODS Patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (N = 23) and controls disorder (N = 25) played three multi-round trust games during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning, with no, positive and negative information about the counterpart's trustworthiness, while all counterparts were programmed to behave trustworthy. The main outcome variable was the height of the shared amount in the trust game, i.e. investment, representing an indication of trust. The first investment in the game was considered to be basic trust, since no behavioural feedback was given yet. We performed region-of-interest analyses and examined the association with real-life social functioning using the experience sampling method. RESULTS Social contextual information had no effect on patients' first investments, whereas controls made the lowest investment after negative and the highest investments after positive contextual information was provided. Over trials, patients decreased investments, suggesting reduced social reward learning, whereas controls increased investments in response to behavioural feedback in the negative context. Patients engaged the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex less than controls during context presentation and showed reduced activity within the caudate during repayments. In patients, lower investments were associated with more time spent alone and social exclusion and lower caudate activation was marginally significantly associated with higher perceived social exclusion. CONCLUSION The failure to adapt trust to positive and negative social contexts suggests that patients have a general insensitivity to prior social information, indicating top-down processing impairments. In addition, patients show reduced sensitivity to social reward, i.e. bottom-up processing deficits. Moreover, lower trust and lower neural activation were related to lower real-life social functioning. Together, these findings indicate that improving trust and social interactions in schizophrenia spectrum needs a multi-faceted approach that targets both mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Hanssen
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, and Institute for Brain and Behaviour (IBBA) Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,CSI Lab, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychosis Studies, King’s College London, London, UK,Hersencentrum Mental Health Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Esther Hanssen, Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, and Institute for Brain and Behaviour (IBBA) Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Mariët van Buuren
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, and Institute for Brain and Behaviour (IBBA) Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nienke Van Atteveldt
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, and Institute for Brain and Behaviour (IBBA) Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Imke LJ Lemmers-Jansen
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, and Institute for Brain and Behaviour (IBBA) Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,CSI Lab, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychosis Studies, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Anne-Kathrin J Fett
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, and Institute for Brain and Behaviour (IBBA) Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,CSI Lab, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychosis Studies, King’s College London, London, UK,Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, UK
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18
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Abstract
Anhedonia has long been considered a cardinal symptom of schizophrenia. This symptom is strongly associated with poor functional outcome, and limited treatment options are available. While originally conceptualized as an inability to experience pleasure, recent work has consistently shown that individuals with schizophrenia have an intact capacity to experience pleasure in-the-moment. Adjacent work in basic affective neuroscience has broadened the conceptualization of anhedonia to include not only the capacity to experience pleasure but highlights important temporal affective dynamics and decision-making processes that go awry in schizophrenia. Here we detail these mechanisms for emotional and motivational impairment in people with schizophrenia including: (1) initial response to reward; (2) reward anticipation; (3) reward learning; (4) effort-cost decision-making; (5) working memory and cognitive control. We will review studies that utilized various types of rewards (e.g., monetary, social), in order to draw conclusions regarding whether findings vary by reward type. We will then discuss how modern assessment methods may best incorporate each of the mechanisms, to provide a more fine-grained understanding of anhedonia in individuals with schizophrenia. We will close by providing a discussion of relevant future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin K Moran
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Adam J Culbreth
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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19
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Bjornestad J, Tjora T, Langeveld JH, Joa I, Johannessen JO, Friedman-Yakoobian M, Hegelstad WTV. Reduced Expression of Emotion: A Red Flag Signalling Conversion to Psychosis in Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) Populations. Psychiatry 2022; 85:282-292. [PMID: 35138998 DOI: 10.1080/00332747.2021.2014383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Objective: In this hypothesis-testing study, which is based on findings from a previous atheoretical machine-learning study, we test the predictive power of baseline "reduced expression of emotion" for psychosis.Method: Study participants (N = 96, mean age 16.55 years) were recruited from the Prevention of Psychosis Study in Rogaland, Norway. The Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS) was conducted 13 times over two years. Reduced expression of emotion was added to positive symptoms at baseline (P1-P5) as a predictor of psychosis onset over a two-year period using logistic regression.Results: Participants with a score above zero on expression of emotion had over eight times the odds of conversion (OR = 8.69, p < .001). Data indicated a significant dose-response association. A model including reduced expression of emotion at baseline together with the positive symptoms of the SIPS rendered the latter statistically insignificant.Conclusions: The study findings confirm findings from the previous machine-learning study, indicating that observing reduced expression of emotion may serve two purposes: first, it may add predictive value to psychosis conversion, and second, it is readily observable. This may facilitate detection of those most at risk within the clinical high risk of psychosis population, as well as those at clinical high risk. A next step could be including this symptom within current high-risk criteria. Future research should consolidate these findings.
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20
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Leathem LD, Currin DL, Montoya AK, Karlsgodt KH. Socioemotional mechanisms of loneliness in subclinical psychosis. Schizophr Res 2021; 238:145-151. [PMID: 34688116 PMCID: PMC8896506 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Loneliness is an important predictor of physical and mental health in the general population and in individuals across the psychosis spectrum, including those experiencing subclinical psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). However, the mechanisms underlying loneliness in the psychosis spectrum are not well understood. Emotion processing deficits are well described across the psychosis spectrum, and socioemotional processing biases are critical for the development and maintenance of loneliness through altered social appraisal, including judgements of rejection. Therefore, we propose that PLEs are associated with increased loneliness, and the relationship is mediated by alterations in socioemotional processing. We also explored how this pathway may be affected by mood and anxiety symptoms, which have been associated with loneliness across the psychosis spectrum. As part of the Human Connectome Project, generally healthy adults (n = 1180) reported symptomatology and social functioning and completed the Penn Emotion Recognition Task to assess efficiency in identifying emotions. We found that higher reported PLEs were associated with elevated levels of loneliness and perceived rejection and that these factors were linked by multiple independent pathways. First, anxiety/depression and emotion processing efficiency independently mediated the PLE-loneliness relationship. Second, we found that the association between PLEs and loneliness was serially mediated through inefficient emotion recognition then higher levels of perceived rejection. These separable mechanisms of increased loneliness in subclinical psychosis have implications for treatment and continued study of social functioning in the psychosis spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan D. Leathem
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America,Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, UCLA, 502 Portola Plaza, 1285 Psychology Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America. (L.D. Leathem)
| | - Danielle L. Currin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Amanda K. Montoya
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Katherine H. Karlsgodt
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America
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Facilitating mGluR4 activity reverses the long-term deleterious consequences of chronic morphine exposure in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1373-1385. [PMID: 33349673 PMCID: PMC8136479 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00927-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of abstinence from drugs of abuse is critical to allow better recovery and ensure relapse prevention in addicted subjects. By comparing the long-term transcriptional consequences of morphine and cocaine exposure, we identified the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 4 (mGluR4) as a promising pharmacological target in morphine abstinence. We evaluated the behavioral and molecular effects of facilitating mGluR4 activity in abstinent mice. Transcriptional regulation of marker genes of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) allowed best discriminating between 4-week morphine and cocaine abstinence in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Among these markers, Grm4, encoding mGluR4, displayed down-regulated expression in the caudate putamen and NAc of morphine, but not cocaine, abstinent mice. Chronic administration of the mGluR4 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0155041 (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) rescued social behavior, normalized stereotypies and anxiety and blunted locomotor sensitization in morphine abstinent mice. This treatment improved social preference but increased stereotypies in cocaine abstinent mice. Finally, the beneficial behavioral effects of VU0155041 treatment in morphine abstinent mice were correlated with restored expression of key MSN and neural activity marker genes in the NAc. This study reports that chronic administration of the mGluR4 PAM VU0155041 relieves long-term deleterious consequences of morphine exposure. It illustrates the neurobiological differences between opiate and psychostimulant abstinence and points to pharmacological repression of excessive activity of D2-MSNs in the NAc as a promising therapeutic lever in drug addiction.
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22
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Green MF, Lee J, Wynn JK. Experimental approaches to social disconnection in the general community: can we learn from schizophrenia research? World Psychiatry 2020; 19:177-178. [PMID: 32394575 PMCID: PMC7215060 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Green
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical CenterLos AngelesCAUSA,Veterans Affairs Program on Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless VeteransLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Junghee Lee
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical CenterLos AngelesCAUSA,Veterans Affairs Program on Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless VeteransLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Jonathan K. Wynn
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical CenterLos AngelesCAUSA,Veterans Affairs Program on Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless VeteransLos AngelesCAUSA
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Cromwell HC, Abe N, Barrett KC, Caldwell-Harris C, Gendolla GH, Koncz R, Sachdev PS. Mapping the interconnected neural systems underlying motivation and emotion: A key step toward understanding the human affectome. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:204-226. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Abstract
We report on the ongoing R21 project “Social Reward Learning in Schizophrenia”. Impairments in social cognition are a hallmark of schizophrenia. However, little work has been done on social reward learning deficits in schizophrenia. The overall goal of the project is to assess social reward learning in schizophrenia. A probabilistic reward learning (PRL) task is being used in the MRI scanner to evaluate reward learning to negative and positive social feedback. Monetary reward learning is used as a comparison to assess specificity. Behavioral outcomes and brain areas, included those involved in reward, are assessed in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and controls. It is also critical to determine whether decreased expected value (EV) of social stimuli and/or reward prediction error (RPE) learning underlie social reward learning deficits to inform potential treatment pathways. Our central hypothesis is that the pattern of social learning deficits is an extension of a more general reward learning impairment in schizophrenia and that social reward learning deficits critically contribute to deficits in social motivation and pleasure. We hypothesize that people with schizophrenia will show impaired behavioral social reward learning compared to controls, as well as decreased ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) EV signaling at time of choice and decreased striatal RPE signaling at time of outcome, with potentially greater impairment to positive than negative feedback. The grant is in its second year. It is hoped that this innovative approach may lead to novel and more targeted treatment approaches for social cognitive impairments, using cognitive remediation and/or brain stimulation.
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25
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Green MF. From Social Cognition to Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: How Do We Get There From Here? Schizophr Bull 2020; 46:225-226. [PMID: 31776580 PMCID: PMC7043055 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbz113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Green
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center Los Angeles, CA,VA Research and Enhancement Program to Enhance Community Integration in Homeless Veterans Los Angeles, CA ,To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: (310) 268-3376;
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26
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Tikkanen V, Siira V, Wahlberg KE, Hakko H, Läksy K, Roisko R, Niemelä M, Räsänen S. Adolescent social functioning in offspring at high risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders in the Finnish Adoptive Family Study of Schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2020; 215:293-299. [PMID: 31699628 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children and adolescents with a genetic risk for schizophrenia are often found to have poorer social functioning compared to their controls. However, less is known about high-risk offspring who have not been reared by a biological parent with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to examine deficits in social functioning in adolescence as a possible factor related to genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and also to examine possible gender differences in these associations. METHOD The present sample consisted of 88 genetic high-risk (HR) adoptees whose biological mothers were diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 83 genetic low-risk (LR) adoptees with biological mothers with non-schizophrenia spectrum disorders or no psychiatric disorders. Adoptees' social functioning at ages 16-20 was assessed using the UCLA Social Attainment Survey. RESULTS Compared to LR adoptees, HR adoptees displayed statistically significant deficits in their peer relationships, involvement in activities and overall social functioning during adolescence. HR males were distinguished from LR males by their significantly poorer overall social functioning. Compared to HR females, HR males showed significant deficits in their romantic relationships. Of marginal significance was that HR females displayed more social functioning deficits relative to LR females, mainly in the areas of peer relationships, involvement in activities and overall social functioning. CONCLUSIONS These results from the adoption and high-risk study design suggest that deficits in social functioning in adolescence may be related to genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia spectrum disorders and that some of these deficits may be gender-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ville Tikkanen
- Faculty of Education, P.O. Box 2000, 90014, University of Oulu, Finland; University of Oulu, Department of Psychiatry, Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, University of Oulu, Finland.
| | - Virva Siira
- Faculty of Education, P.O. Box 2000, 90014, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Karl-Erik Wahlberg
- University of Oulu, Department of Psychiatry, Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Helinä Hakko
- Oulu University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, P.O. Box 26, 90029, Oulu University Hospital, Finland
| | | | - Riikka Roisko
- Oulu University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, P.O. Box 26, 90029, Oulu University Hospital, Finland
| | - Mika Niemelä
- Oulu University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, P.O. Box 26, 90029, Oulu University Hospital, Finland; University of Oulu, Department of Medicine, Center for Life Course Health, Research, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Sami Räsänen
- Oulu University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, P.O. Box 26, 90029, Oulu University Hospital, Finland
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27
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Social and non-social reward learning reduced and related to a familial vulnerability in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Schizophr Res 2020; 215:256-262. [PMID: 31753593 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Patients with a disorder in the schizophrenia spectrum (SZ) demonstrate impairments in reward learning. A reduced sensitivity to social reward may impede social beyond non-social reward learning mechanisms. The aim of the current study was to investigate social and non-social reward learning in SZ by means of two interactive game-theoretical investment paradigms. Unaffected first-degree relatives of patients were included to examine whether (social) reward-learning impairments are part of a familial vulnerability of SZ. We included 50 patients with a SZ disorder, 20 unaffected first-degree relatives of patients and 49 healthy controls. The trust game (social) and the lottery game (non-social) were used, consisting of 20 game trials each. The game paradigms were programmed to increase the likelihood of higher repayments in response to increased investments. Multilevel regression analyses were used to examine learning over trials in both contexts. The results showed that controls learned equally well in social and non-social contexts, as reflected in an increase of investments over game rounds in both paradigms. In contrast, patients and relatives showed reduced reward learning, regardless of its social or non-social nature, reflected by flatter or decreasing slopes over game rounds in both paradigms. The findings suggest that patients and relatives have a general reduced sensitivity to reward, which appears to reflect a familial vulnerability rather than illness related mechanisms. Results indicate that reward learning may be an important marker for the familial risk to SZ.
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