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Herkströter F, Zahedi A, Standke I, Dannlowski U, Lencer R, Schubotz RI, Trempler I. Gray matter matters: Cognitive stability and flexibility in schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Psychophysiology 2024:e14596. [PMID: 38691383 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction constitutes a core characteristic of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SZ). Specifically, deficits in updating generative models (i.e., cognitive flexibility) and shielding against distractions (i.e., cognitive stability) are considered critical contributors to cognitive impairment in these patients. Here, we examined the structural integrity of frontostriatal networks and their associations with reduced cognitive stability and flexibility in SZ patients. In a sample of 21 patients diagnosed with SZ and 22 healthy controls, we measured gray matter volume (GMV) using structural MRI. Further, cognitive stability and flexibility were assessed using a switch-drift paradigm, quantifying the successful ignoring of distracters and detection of rule switches. Compared to controls, patients showed significantly smaller GMV in the whole brain and three predefined regions of interest: the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and caudate nucleus (CN). Notably, GMV in these areas positively correlated with correct rule-switch detection but not with ignoring rule-compatible drifts. Further, the volumetric differences between SZ patients and controls were statistically explainable by considering the behavioral performance in the switch-drift task. Our results indicate that morphological abnormalities in frontostriatal networks are associated with deficient flexibility in SZ patients and highlight the necessity of minimizing neurodevelopmental and progressive brain atrophy in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florentine Herkströter
- Department of Neurology, Niels-Stensen-Kliniken, Marienhospital Osnabrück-Standort Natruper Holz, Osnabrueck, Germany
| | - Anoushiravan Zahedi
- Institute of Psychology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Isabel Standke
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute of Psychology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Rebekka Lencer
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Ricarda I Schubotz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Ima Trempler
- Institute of Psychology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
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Trempler I, Binder E, Reuter M, Plieger T, Standke I, Mecklenbrauck F, Meinert S, Forstner AJ, Nöthen MM, Rietschel M, Stürmer S, Dannlowski U, Tittgemeyer M, Lencer R, Fink GR, Schubotz RI. Effects of DRD2/ANKK1 and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms on stabilization against and adaptation to unexpected events. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:5698-5715. [PMID: 35235645 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic variations affecting dopaminergic neuromodulation such as the DRD2/ANKK1 and the COMT Val158Met polymorphisms contribute to goal-directed behavior that requires a balance between stabilization and updating of current states and behaviors. Dopamine is also thought to be relevant for encoding of surprise signals to sensory input and adaptive learning. A link between goal-directed behavior and learning from surprise is therefore plausible. In the present fMRI study, we investigated whether DRD2 and COMT polymorphisms are related to behavioral responses and neural signals in the caudate nucleus and dlPFC during updating or stabilizing internal models of predictable digit sequences. To-be-detected switches between sequences and to-be-ignored digit omissions within a sequence varied by information-theoretic quantities of surprise and entropy. We found that A1 noncarriers and Val-carriers showed a lower response threshold along with increased caudate and dlPFC activation to surprising switches compared with A1-carriers and Met-homozygotes, whose dlPFC activity increased with decreasing switch surprise. In contrast, there were overall smaller differences in behavioral and neural modulation by drift surprise. Our results suggest that the impact of dopamine-relevant polymorphisms in the flexibility-stability trade-off may result in part from the role of dopamine in encoding the weight afforded to events requiring updating or stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ima Trempler
- Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Ellen Binder
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne D50937, Germany
| | - Martin Reuter
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Kaiser-Karl-Ring 9, Bonn D53111, Germany.,Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Am Hofgarten 8, Bonn D53113, Germany
| | - Thomas Plieger
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Kaiser-Karl-Ring 9, Bonn D53111, Germany.,Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Am Hofgarten 8, Bonn D53113, Germany
| | - Isabel Standke
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Falko Mecklenbrauck
- Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Andreas J Forstner
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, Bonn D53127, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Juelich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., Juelich D52428, Germany
| | - Markus M Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, Bonn D53127, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim D68159, Germany
| | - Sophie Stürmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne D50937, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Marc Tittgemeyer
- Translational Neurocircuitry Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Str. 50, Cologne D50931, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 26, Cologne D50931, Germany
| | - Rebekka Lencer
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Luebeck, D23538, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne D50937, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM3), Research Centre Juelich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., Juelich D52428, Germany
| | - Ricarda I Schubotz
- Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne D50937, Germany
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Standke I, Trempler I, Dannlowski U, Schubotz RI, Lencer R. Cerebral and behavioral signs of impaired cognitive flexibility and stability in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. NeuroImage: Clinical 2021; 32:102855. [PMID: 34695780 PMCID: PMC8551223 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients are impaired regarding both, cognitive flexibility and stability. Deficient prediction error discrimination is related to reduced striatal activation. Decreased ACC and hippocampus activation predicts impaired rule switch detection. Decreased frontal and insular activation predicts impaired distractor shielding.
Background Manifold cognitive deficits have been reported in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, including disturbances in flexible updating to altered circumstances as well as stabilization deficits in the face of distractors. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined the neural correlates of these deficits as two complementary components of predictive processing. Methods In 22 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 22 healthy matched control participants, we applied a serial predictive switch-drift task to assess flexibility as successful detection of prediction-rule switches, and stability as successfully ignoring distractors (“drifts”). Results Patients compared with controls less reliably detected rule switches and also less efficiently inhibited drifts. A reduced striatal response to switches or drifts correlated with weaker switch-drift-discrimination in patients, suggesting impaired gating of prediction errors. The increase in activity in anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus for detected vs. undetected switches was reduced in patients compared to controls, which may reflect impaired behavioral adaptation following prediction errors. The comparison between shielding against distractions and undetected switches showed increased activity in the inferior frontal cortex and posterior insula in controls but not in patients. Conclusion Our results suggest new insights into the specific disruption of predictive flexibility and stability in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, which is characterized by impaired striatal gating and inadequate cortical encoding of predictive errors.
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