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Deng S, Tan S, Guo C, Liu Y, Li X. Impaired effective functional connectivity in the social preference of children with autism spectrum disorder. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1391191. [PMID: 38872942 PMCID: PMC11169607 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1391191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala (Amyg), and nucleus accumbens (NAc) have been identified as critical players in the social preference of individuals with ASD. However, the specific pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this role requires further clarification. In the current study, we applied Granger Causality Analysis (GCA) to investigate the neural connectivity of these three brain regions of interest (ROIs) in patients with ASD, aiming to elucidate their associations with clinical features of the disorder. Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were acquired from the ABIDE II database, which included 37 patients with ASD and 50 typically developing (TD) controls. The mPFC, Amyg, and NAc were defined as ROIs, and the differences in fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) within the ROIs between the ASD and TD groups were computed. Subsequently, we employed GCA to investigate the bidirectional effective connectivity between the ROIs and the rest of the brain. Finally, we explored whether this effective connectivity was associated with the social responsiveness scale (SRS) scores of children with ASD. Results The fALFF values in the ROIs were reduced in children with ASD when compared to the TD group. In terms of the efferent connectivity from the ROIs to the whole brain, the ASD group exhibited increased connectivity in the right cingulate gyrus and decreased connectivity in the right superior temporal gyrus. Regarding the afferent connectivity from the whole brain to the ROIs, the ASD group displayed increased connectivity in the right globus pallidus and decreased connectivity in the right cerebellar Crus 1 area and left cingulate gyrus. Additionally, we demonstrated a positive correlation between effective connectivity derived from GCA and SRS scores. Conclusion Impairments in social preference ASD children is linked to impaired effective connectivity in brain regions associated with social cognition, emotional responses, social rewards, and social decision-making. This finding further reveals the potential neuropathological mechanisms underlying ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin Deng
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Child Preventive Care, Dongguan Children’s Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Si Tan
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Cuihua Guo
- Department of Child Preventive Care, Dongguan Children’s Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanxiong Liu
- Department of Child Preventive Care, Dongguan Children’s Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiuhong Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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2
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Kent J, Pinkham A. Cerebral and cerebellar correlates of social cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 128:110850. [PMID: 37657639 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110850] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Social cognition is a broad construct encompassing the ways in which individuals perceive, process, and use information about other people. Social cognition involves both lower- and higher-level processes such as emotion recognition and theory of mind, respectively. Social cognitive impairments have been repeatedly demonstrated in schizophrenia spectrum illnesses and, crucially, are related to functional outcomes. In this review, we summarize the literature investigating the brain networks implicated in social cognitive impairments in schizophrenia spectrum illnesses. In addition to cortical and limbic loci and networks, we also discuss evidence for cerebellar contributions to social cognitive impairment in this population. We conclude by synthesizing these two literatures, with an emphasis on current knowledge gaps, particularly in regard to cerebellar influences, and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerillyn Kent
- Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Amy Pinkham
- Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.
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3
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Massalha Y, Maggioni E, Callari A, Brambilla P, Delvecchio G. A review of resting-state fMRI correlations with executive functions and social cognition in bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord 2023; 334:337-351. [PMID: 37003435 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in executive functions (EF) and social cognition (SC) are often observed in bipolar disorder (BD), leading to a severe impairment in engaging a functional interaction with the others and the surrounding environment. Therefore, in recent years, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies on BD tried to identify the neural underpinnings of these cognitive domains by exploring the association between the intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) and the scores in clinical scales evaluating these domains. METHODS A bibliographic search on PubMed and Scopus of studies evaluating the correlations between rs-fMRI findings and EF and/or SC in BD was conducted until March 2022. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS Overall, the results of the reviewed studies showed that BD patients had FC deficits compared to healthy controls (HC) in selective resting-state networks involved in EF and SC, which include the default mode network, especially the link between medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, and the sensory-motor network. Finally, it also emerged the predominant role of alterations in prefrontal connections in explaining the cognitive deficits in BD patients. LIMITATIONS The heterogeneity of the reviewed studies, in terms of cognitive domains explored and neuroimaging acquisitions, limited the comparability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS rs-fMRI studies could help deepen the brain network alterations underlying EF and SC deficits in BD, pointing the attention on the neuronal underpinning of cognition, whose knowledge may lead to the development of new neurobiological-based approaches to improve the quality of life of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yara Massalha
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Callari
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, 20122 Milan, Italy.
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4
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Lopes da Cunha P, Fittipaldi S, González Campo C, Kauffman M, Rodríguez-Quiroga S, Yacovino DA, Ibáñez A, Birba A, García AM. Social concepts and the cerebellum: behavioural and functional connectivity signatures in cerebellar ataxic patients. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210364. [PMID: 36571119 PMCID: PMC9791482 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurocognitive research on social concepts underscores their reliance on fronto-temporo-limbic regions mediating broad socio-cognitive skills. Yet, the field has neglected another structure increasingly implicated in social cognition: the cerebellum. The present exploratory study examines this link combining a novel naturalistic text paradigm, a relevant atrophy model and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Fifteen cerebellar ataxia (CA) patients with focal cerebellar atrophy and 29 matched controls listened to a social text (highlighting interpersonal events) as well as a non-social text (focused on a single person's actions), and answered comprehension questionnaires. We compared behavioural outcomes between groups and examined their association with cerebellar connectivity. CA patients showed deficits in social text comprehension and normal scores in the non-social text. Also, social text outcomes in controls selectively correlated with connectivity between the cerebellum and key regions subserving multi-modal semantics and social cognition, including the superior and medial temporal gyri, the temporal pole and the insula. Conversely, brain-behaviour associations involving the cerebellum were abolished in the patients. Thus, cerebellar structures and connections seem involved in processing social concepts evoked by naturalistic discourse. Such findings invite new theoretical and translational developments integrating social neuroscience with embodied semantics. This article is part of the theme issue 'Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Lopes da Cunha
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina
- National Agency for Scientific Promotion and Technology (ANPCyT), Buenos Aires, C1425FQD, Argentina
| | - Sol Fittipaldi
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, 94158-2324, US and Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, 7550344, Chile
| | - Cecilia González Campo
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Kauffman
- Consultorio y Laboratorio de Neurogenética, Centro Universitario de Neurología “José María Ramos Mejía” y División Neurología, Hospital JM Ramos Mejía, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, C1221ADC, Argentina
- School of Medicine, UBA, CONICET, Buenos Aires, C1121ABG, Argentina
| | - Sergio Rodríguez-Quiroga
- Consultorio y Laboratorio de Neurogenética, Centro Universitario de Neurología “José María Ramos Mejía” y División Neurología, Hospital JM Ramos Mejía, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, C1221ADC, Argentina
| | - Darío Andrés Yacovino
- Department of Neurology, Dr. Cesar Milstein Hospital, Buenos Aires, C1221ACI, Argentina
- Memory and Balance Clinic, Buenos Aires, C1425BPC, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, 94158-2324, US and Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, 7550344, Chile
| | - Agustina Birba
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - Adolfo M. García
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, 94158-2324, US and Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, 9170022, Chile
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Choi SY, Ha M, Choi S, Moon SY, Park S, Kim M, Kwon JS. Altered intrinsic cerebellar-cerebral functional connectivity is related to negative symptoms in patients with first-episode psychosis. Schizophr Res 2023; 252:56-63. [PMID: 36628869 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Negative symptoms in schizophrenia include cognitive and affective dysfunction, such as diminished expression and amotivation. Although the cerebellar posterior hemisphere and vermis are involved in cognitive and affective functioning, previous studies on the neural mechanism of negative symptoms have mostly been confined to the cerebral cortex. This study aimed to investigate whether resting-state cerebellar-cerebral functional connectivity (FC) is altered in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients and whether this connectivity is related to negative symptoms. METHODS Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were obtained from 38 FEP patients and 100 healthy controls (HCs). Using the posterior hemisphere and vermis of the cerebellum as seeds, whole-brain FC was compared between FEP patients and HCs. As cerebellar-parietal cortex connectivity is associated with negative symptoms and sociocognitive dysfunctions in schizophrenia patients, its correlation with negative symptoms was explored in FEP patients. RESULTS FEP patients showed hyperconnectivity between the cerebellum and bilateral frontal pole (FP), occipital pole, fusiform gyrus, right lingual gyrus, central opercular cortex, anterior middle temporal gyrus, precuneus, and subcallosal cortex. Hypoconnectivity was found between the cerebellum and left FP, right anterior supramarginal gyrus (aSMG), and cerebellum crus I. FC between the left crus II and right aSMG was negatively correlated with the severity of negative symptoms and diminished expression. CONCLUSIONS Altered FC between the cerebellum and cerebral regions related to cognitive, affective, and sensory processing was found in FEP patients and was connected to negative symptoms. These results suggest that the cerebellum plays a role in the pathophysiology of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Yun Choi
- Department of Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minji Ha
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunah Choi
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Young Moon
- Department of Psychiatry, Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunghyun Park
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minah Kim
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jun Soo Kwon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, SNU-MRC, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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6
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Frosch IR, Damme KSF, Bernard JA, Mittal VA. Cerebellar correlates of social dysfunction among individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1027470. [PMID: 36532176 PMCID: PMC9752902 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1027470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Social deficits are a significant feature among both individuals with psychosis and those at clinical high-risk (CHR) for developing psychosis. Critically, the psychosis risk syndrome emerges in adolescence and young adulthood, when social skill development is being fine-tuned. Yet, the underlying pathophysiology of social deficits in individuals at CHR for psychosis remains unclear. Literature suggests the cerebellum plays a critical role in social functioning. Cerebellar dysfunction in psychosis and CHR individuals is well-established, yet limited research has examined links between the cerebellum and social functioning deficits in this critical population. Method In the current study, 68 individuals at CHR for developing psychosis and 66 healthy controls (HCs) completed social processing measures (examining social interaction, social cognition, and global social functioning) and resting-state MRI scans. Seed-to-voxel resting-state connectivity analyses were employed to examine the relationship between social deficits and lobular cerebellar network connectivity. Results Analyses indicated that within the CHR group, each social domain variable was linked to reduced connectivity between social cerebellar subregions (e.g., Crus II, lobules VIIIa and VIIIb) and cortical regions (e.g., frontal pole and frontal gyrus), but a control cerebellar subregion (e.g., lobule X) and was unrelated to these social variables. Discussion These results indicate an association between several cerebellar lobules and specific deficits in social processing. The cerebellum, therefore, may be particularly salient to the social domain and future research is need to examine the role of the cerebellum in psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle R. Frosch
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Katherine S. F. Damme
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Jessica A. Bernard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Vijay A. Mittal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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7
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Park SH, Kim T, Ha M, Moon SY, Lho SK, Kim M, Kwon JS. Intrinsic cerebellar functional connectivity of social cognition and theory of mind in first-episode psychosis patients. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2021; 7:59. [PMID: 34862393 PMCID: PMC8642425 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-021-00193-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have revealed how intrinsic dysconnectivity among cortical regions of the mentalizing network (MENT) and the mirror neuron system (MNS) could explain the theory of mind (ToM) deficit in schizophrenia patients. However, despite the concurrent involvement of the cerebellum with the cortex in social cognition, the dysfunction in intrinsic interplay between the cerebellar nodes of MENT/MNS and the cortex in schizophrenia patients remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether resting-state cerebello-cortical dysconnectivity exists in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients in relationship with their ToM deficit. A total of 37 FEP patients and 80 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Using a priori-defined cerebellar seeds that functionally connect to the MENT (right crus II) and MNS (right crus I), we compared cerebello-cortical functional connectivities (FCs) in FEP patients and HCs. Correlations between cerebello-parietal connectivities and ToM performance were investigated in FEP patients. FEP patients showed hyperconnectivity between the right crus II and anterior cingulate gyrus and between the right crus I and supplementary motor area, bilateral postcentral gyrus, and right central/parietal operculum (CO/PO). Hypoconnectivity was found between the right crus II and left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) in FEP patients. FCs between the right crus II and left SMG and between the right crus I and right CO/PO were significantly correlated with ToM scores in FEP patients. In accordance with the "cognitive dysmetria" hypothesis, our results highlight the importance of cerbello-cortical dysconnectivities in understanding social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Hwan Park
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Taekwan Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minji Ha
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Young Moon
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Silvia Kyungjin Lho
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minah Kim
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jun Soo Kwon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, SNU-MRC, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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8
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The GM2 gangliosidoses: Unlocking the mysteries of pathogenesis and treatment. Neurosci Lett 2021; 764:136195. [PMID: 34450229 PMCID: PMC8572160 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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9
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Van Overwalle F, Pu M, Ma Q, Li M, Haihambo N, Baetens K, Deroost N, Baeken C, Heleven E. The Involvement of the Posterior Cerebellum in Reconstructing and Predicting Social Action Sequences. THE CEREBELLUM 2021; 21:733-741. [PMID: 34694590 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-021-01333-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in social neuroscience have highlighted the critical role of the cerebellum and especially the posterior cerebellar Crus in social mentalizing (i.e., theory of mind). Research in the past 5 years has provided growing evidence supporting the view that the posterior cerebellum builds internal action models of our social interactions to predict how other people's actions will be executed, and what our most likely responses to these actions will be. This paper presents an overview of a series of fMRI experiments on novel tasks involving a combination of (a) the learning or generation of chronological sequences of social actions either in an explicit or implicit manner, which (b) require social mentalizing on another person's mental state such as goals, beliefs, and implied traits. Together, the results strongly confirm the central role of the posterior cerebellar Crus in identifying and automatizing action sequencing during social mentalizing, and in predicting future action sequences based on social mentalizing inferences about others. This research program has important implications: It provides for the first time (a) fruitful starting points for diagnosing and investigating social sequencing dysfunctions in a variety of mental disorders which have also been related to cerebellar dysfunctions, (b) provides the necessary tools for testing whether non-invasive neurostimulation targeting the posterior cerebellum has a causal effect on social functioning, and (c) whether these stimulation techniques and training programs guided by novel cerebellar social sequencing insights, can be exploited to increase posterior cerebellar plasticity in order to alleviate social impairments in mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Van Overwalle
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.
| | - Min Pu
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Qianying Ma
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Meijia Li
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Naem Haihambo
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Kris Baetens
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Natacha Deroost
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Elien Heleven
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
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10
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Van Overwalle F, Baeken C, Campanella S, Crunelle CL, Heleven E, Kornreich C, Leggio M, Noël X, Vanderhasselt MA, Baetens K. The Role of the Posterior Cerebellum in Dysfunctional Social Sequencing. THE CEREBELLUM 2021; 21:1123-1134. [PMID: 34637054 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-021-01330-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in social neuroscience have highlighted the critical role of the cerebellum in social cognition, and especially the posterior cerebellum. Studies have supported the view that the posterior cerebellum builds internal action models of our social interactions to predict how other people's actions will be executed and what our most likely responses are to these actions. This mechanism allows to better anticipate action sequences during social interactions in an automatic and intuitive way and to fine-tune these anticipations, making it easier to understand other's social behaviors and mental states (e.g., beliefs, intentions, traits). In this paper, we argue that the central role of the posterior cerebellum in identifying and automatizing social action sequencing provides a fruitful starting point for investigating social dysfunctions in a variety of clinical pathologies, such as autism, obsessive-compulsive and bipolar disorder, depression, and addiction. Our key hypothesis is that dysfunctions of the posterior cerebellum lead to under- or overuse of inflexible social routines and lack of plasticity for learning new, more adaptive, social automatisms. We briefly review past research supporting this view and propose a program of research to test our hypothesis. This approach might alleviate a variety of mental problems of individuals who suffer from inflexible automatizations that stand in the way of adjustable and intuitive social behavior, by increasing posterior cerebellar plasticity using noninvasive neurostimulation or neuro-guided training programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Van Overwalle
- Department of Psychology & Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Psychology & Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Psychiatry, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Salvatore Campanella
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Médicale Et d'Addictologie, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium.,UNI Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium.,Faculty of Psychology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Cleo L Crunelle
- Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Elien Heleven
- Department of Psychology & Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Charles Kornreich
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Médicale Et d'Addictologie, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium.,UNI Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium.,Faculty of Psychology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Maria Leggio
- Department of Psychology & Ataxia Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Sapienza University of Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Xavier Noël
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Médicale Et d'Addictologie, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium.,UNI Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium.,Faculty of Psychology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | | | - Kris Baetens
- Department of Psychology & Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.,Brussels University Consultation Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
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11
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The posterior cerebellum supports implicit learning of social belief sequences. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 21:970-992. [PMID: 34100254 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00910-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have documented the involvement of the posterior cerebellar Crus (I & II) in social mentalizing, when sequences play a critical role. We investigated for the first time implicit learning of belief sequences. We created a novel task in which true and false beliefs of other persons were alternated in an adapted serial reaction time (SRT) paradigm (Belief SRT task). Participants observed two protagonists whose beliefs concerning reality were manipulated, depending on their orientation toward the scene (true belief: directly observing the situation) or away from it (false belief: knowing only the prior situation). Unbeknownst to the participants, a fixed sequence related to the two protagonists' belief orientations was repeated throughout the task (Training phase); and to test the acquisition of this fixed sequence, it was occasionally interrupted by random sequences (Test phase). As a nonsocial control, the two protagonists and their orientations were replaced by two different shapes of different colors respectively (Control SRT task). As predicted, the posterior cerebellar Crus I & II were activated during the Belief SRT task and not in the Control SRT task. The Belief SRT task revealed that Crus I was activated during the initial learning of the fixed sequence (Training phase) and when this learned sequence was interrupted by random sequences (Test phase). Moreover, Crus II was activated during occasional reappearance of the learned sequence in the context of sequence violations (Test phase). Our results demonstrate the contribution of the posterior cerebellar Crus during implicit learning and predicting new belief sequences.
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