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Abstract
The cerebellum has a well-established role in controlling motor functions, including coordination, posture, and the learning of skilled movements. The mechanisms for how it carries out motor behavior remain under intense investigation. Interestingly though, in recent years the mechanisms of cerebellar function have faced additional scrutiny since nonmotor behaviors may also be controlled by the cerebellum. With such complexity arising, there is now a pressing need to better understand how cerebellar structure, function, and behavior intersect to influence behaviors that are dynamically called upon as an animal experiences its environment. Here, we discuss recent experimental work that frames possible neural mechanisms for how the cerebellum shapes disparate behaviors and why its dysfunction is catastrophic in hereditary and acquired conditions-both motor and nonmotor. For these reasons, the cerebellum might be the ideal therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda H Kim
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA;
| | - Detlef H Heck
- Center for Cerebellar Network Structure and Function in Health and Disease, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pediatrics, Program in Developmental Biology, and Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA;
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Abram SV, Hua JPY. Pons connectivity correlates with neurophysiological and clinical signatures of predictive coding in psychosis. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01919-x. [PMID: 39039138 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01919-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha V Abram
- Mental Health Service, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Jessica P Y Hua
- Mental Health Service, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Abram SV, Hua JPY, Nicholas S, Roach B, Keedy S, Sweeney JA, Mathalon DH, Ford JM. Pons-to-Cerebellum Hypoconnectivity Along the Psychosis Spectrum and Associations With Sensory Prediction and Hallucinations in Schizophrenia. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024; 9:693-702. [PMID: 38311290 PMCID: PMC11227403 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sensory prediction allows the brain to anticipate and parse incoming self-generated sensory information from externally generated signals. Sensory prediction breakdowns may contribute to perceptual and agency abnormalities in psychosis (hallucinations, delusions). The pons, a central node in a cortico-ponto-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical circuit, is thought to support sensory prediction. Examination of pons connectivity in schizophrenia and its role in sensory prediction abnormalities is lacking. METHODS We examined these relationships using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and the electroencephalography-based auditory N1 event-related potential in 143 participants with psychotic spectrum disorders (PSPs) (with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder); 63 first-degree relatives of individuals with psychosis; 45 people at clinical high risk for psychosis; and 124 unaffected comparison participants. This unique sample allowed examination across the psychosis spectrum and illness trajectory. Seeding from the pons, we extracted average connectivity values from thalamic and cerebellar clusters showing differences between PSPs and unaffected comparison participants. We predicted N1 amplitude attenuation during a vocalization task from pons connectivity and group membership. We correlated participant-level connectivity in PSPs and people at clinical high risk for psychosis with hallucination and delusion severity. RESULTS Compared to unaffected comparison participants, PSPs showed pons hypoconnectivity to 2 cerebellar clusters, and first-degree relatives of individuals with psychosis showed hypoconnectivity to 1 of these clusters. Pons-to-cerebellum connectivity was positively correlated with N1 attenuation; only PSPs with heightened pons-to-postcentral gyrus connectivity showed this pattern, suggesting a possible compensatory mechanism. Pons-to-cerebellum hypoconnectivity was correlated with greater hallucination severity specifically among PSPs with schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS Deficient pons-to-cerebellum connectivity linked sensory prediction network breakdowns with perceptual abnormalities in schizophrenia. Findings highlight shared features and clinical heterogeneity across the psychosis spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha V Abram
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California
| | - Jessica P Y Hua
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California
| | - Spero Nicholas
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California
| | - Brian Roach
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California
| | - Sarah Keedy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California
| | - Judith M Ford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California.
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Faris P, Pischedda D, Palesi F, D’Angelo E. New clues for the role of cerebellum in schizophrenia and the associated cognitive impairment. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1386583. [PMID: 38799988 PMCID: PMC11116653 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1386583] [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: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder associated with severe cognitive dysfunction. Although research has mainly focused on forebrain abnormalities, emerging results support the involvement of the cerebellum in SZ physiopathology, particularly in Cognitive Impairment Associated with SZ (CIAS). Besides its role in motor learning and control, the cerebellum is implicated in cognition and emotion. Recent research suggests that structural and functional changes in the cerebellum are linked to deficits in various cognitive domains including attention, working memory, and decision-making. Moreover, cerebellar dysfunction is related to altered cerebellar circuit activities and connectivity with brain regions associated with cognitive processing. This review delves into the role of the cerebellum in CIAS. We initially consider the major forebrain alterations in CIAS, addressing impairments in neurotransmitter systems, synaptic plasticity, and connectivity. We then focus on recent findings showing that several mechanisms are also altered in the cerebellum and that cerebellar communication with the forebrain is impaired. This evidence implicates the cerebellum as a key component of circuits underpinning CIAS physiopathology. Further studies addressing cerebellar involvement in SZ and CIAS are warranted and might open new perspectives toward understanding the physiopathology and effective treatment of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawan Faris
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Doris Pischedda
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fulvia Palesi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Digital Neuroscience Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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Huang D, Zhong S, Song X, Zhang R, Lai S, Jia Y. Effect of novel accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation on suicidal ideation in adolescent patients with major depressive episode: a randomised clinical trial. Gen Psychiatr 2024; 37:e101394. [PMID: 38665940 PMCID: PMC11043680 DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2023-101394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dong Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuming Zhong
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaodong Song
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Rongxu Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shunkai Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanbin Jia
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Tan X, Goh SE, Lee JJ, Vanniasingham SD, Brunelin J, Lee J, Tor PC. Efficacy of Using Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation to Treat Negative Symptoms in Patients with Schizophrenia-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Brain Sci 2023; 14:18. [PMID: 38248233 PMCID: PMC10813174 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Negative symptoms in schizophrenia impose a significant burden with limited effective pharmacological treatment options. Recent trials have shown preliminary evidence for the efficacy of using intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) in treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia. We aim to systematically review the current evidence of iTBS in the treatment of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia as an augmentation therapy. The study protocol was developed and registered on Prospero (registration ID: 323381). MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science (Scopus), PsycINFO and Wan Fang databases were searched for sham-controlled, randomized trials of iTBS among patients with schizophrenia. The mean difference in major outcome assessments for negative symptoms was calculated. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (version 1) and the GRADE system. Moreover, 12 studies including a total of 637 participants were included. Compared to sham treatment, the pooled analysis was in favor of iTBS treatment for negative symptoms (mean weight effect size: 0.59, p = 0.03) but not for positive symptoms (mean weight effect size: 0.01, p = 0.91) and depressive symptoms (mean weight effect size: 0.35, p = 0.16). A significant treatment effect was also observed on the iTBS target site left dorsal prefrontal cortex (mean weight effect size: 0.86, p = 0.007) and for stimulation with 80% motor threshold (mean weight effect size: 0.86, p = 0.02). Thus, our synthesized data support iTBS as a potential treatment for negative symptoms among patients with schizophrenia. However, the long-term efficacy and safety issues of iTBS in a larger population have yet to be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Tan
- Department of Mood and Anxiety, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore 539747, Singapore; (X.T.); (S.E.G.); (J.J.L.)
| | - Shih Ee Goh
- Department of Mood and Anxiety, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore 539747, Singapore; (X.T.); (S.E.G.); (J.J.L.)
| | - Jonathan Jie Lee
- Department of Mood and Anxiety, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore 539747, Singapore; (X.T.); (S.E.G.); (J.J.L.)
| | | | - Jérôme Brunelin
- PSYR2 Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, 69000 Lyon, France;
- Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Jimmy Lee
- Department of Psychosis, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore 539747, Singapore;
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Phern Chern Tor
- Department of Mood and Anxiety, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore 539747, Singapore; (X.T.); (S.E.G.); (J.J.L.)
- Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
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Lyngstad SH, Lyne JP, Ihler HM, van der Meer L, Færden A, Melle I. Turning the Spotlight on Apathy: Identification and Treatment in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1099-1104. [PMID: 37193675 PMCID: PMC10483442 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad070] [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] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Among negative symptoms, apathy is central to the impairments in real-life functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). Thus, optimizing treatment for apathy appears key to improve outcomes. In treatment research, however, negative symptoms are typically studied as a unifactorial construct. We, therefore, aim to shed necessary light on the status of apathy identification and treatment in SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siv Hege Lyngstad
- Nydalen DPS, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - John Paul Lyne
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Newcastle Hospital, Wicklow, Ireland
| | - Henrik Myhre Ihler
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lisette van der Meer
- Department of Rehabilitation, Lentis Psychiatric Institute, Zuidlaren, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ann Færden
- Department of Acute Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingrid Melle
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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