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Rainer LJ, Kuchukhidze G, Trinka E, Braun M, Kronbichler M, Langthaler P, Zimmermann G, Kronbichler L, Said-Yürekli S, Kirschner M, Zamarian L, Schmid E, Jokeit H, Höfler J. Recognition and perception of emotions in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Epilepsia 2023; 64:3319-3330. [PMID: 37795683 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Perception and recognition of emotions are fundamental prerequisites of human life. Patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) may have emotional and behavioral impairments that might influence socially desirable interactions. We aimed to investigate perception and recognition of emotions in patients with JME by means of neuropsychological tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS Sixty-five patients with JME (median age = 27 years, interquartile range [IQR] = 23-34) were prospectively recruited at the Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. Patients were compared to 68 healthy controls (median age = 24 years, IQR = 21-31), matched for sex, age, and education. All study participants underwent the Networks of Emotion Processing test battery (NEmo), an fMRI paradigm of "dynamic fearful faces," a structured interview for psychiatric and personality disorders, and comprehensive neuropsychological testing. RESULTS JME patients versus healthy controls demonstrated significant deficits in emotion recognition in facial and verbal tasks of all emotions, especially fear. fMRI revealed decreased amygdala activation in JME patients as compared to healthy controls. Patients were at a higher risk of experiencing psychiatric disorders as compared to healthy controls. Cognitive evaluation revealed impaired attentional and executive functioning, namely psychomotor speed, tonic alertness, divided attention, mental flexibility, and inhibition of automated reactions. Duration of epilepsy correlated negatively with parallel prosodic and facial emotion recognition in NEmo. Deficits in emotion recognition were not associated with psychiatric comorbidities, impaired attention and executive functions, types of seizures, and treatment. SIGNIFICANCE This prospective study demonstrated that as compared to healthy subjects, patients with JME had significant deficits in recognition and perception of emotions as shown by neuropsychological tests and fMRI. The results of this study may have importance for psychological/psychotherapeutic interventions in the management of patients with JME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Johannes Rainer
- Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, member of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Giorgi Kuchukhidze
- Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, member of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Eugen Trinka
- Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, member of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics, and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
- Karl-Landsteiner Institute for Neurorehabilitation and Space Neurology, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Mario Braun
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience/Department of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Paris Lodron University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience/Department of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Paris Lodron University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Patrick Langthaler
- Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, member of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Paris Lodron University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Georg Zimmermann
- Team Biostatistics and Big Medical Data, Lab for Intelligent Data Analytics Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Research and Innovation Management, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Lisa Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarah Said-Yürekli
- Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, member of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Salzburg, Austria
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience/Department of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Paris Lodron University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Margarita Kirschner
- Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, member of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Laura Zamarian
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Schmid
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Julia Höfler
- Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, member of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Salzburg, Austria
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Uscătescu LC, Kronbichler M, Said-Yürekli S, Kronbichler L, Calhoun V, Corbera S, Bell M, Pelphrey K, Pearlson G, Assaf M. Intrinsic neural timescales in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. A replication and direct comparison study. Schizophrenia (Heidelb) 2023; 9:18. [PMID: 36997542 PMCID: PMC10063601 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-023-00344-1] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsic neural timescales (INT) reflect the duration for which brain areas store information. A posterior-anterior hierarchy of increasingly longer INT has been revealed in both typically developed individuals (TD), as well as persons diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ), though INT are, overall, shorter in both patient groups. In the present study, we aimed to replicate previously reported group differences by comparing INT of TD to ASD and SZ. We partially replicated the previously reported result, showing reduced INT in the left lateral occipital gyrus and the right post-central gyrus in SZ compared to TD. We also directly compared the INT of the two patient groups and found that these same two areas show significantly reduced INT in SZ compared to ASD. Previously reported correlations between INT and symptom severity were not replicated in the current project. Our findings serve to circumscribe the brain areas that can potentially play a determinant role in observed sensory peculiarities in ASD and SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience & Department of Psychology, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarah Said-Yürekli
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience & Department of Psychology, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Lisa Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience & Department of Psychology, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Vince Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Silvia Corbera
- Central Connecticut State University, Department of Psychological Science, New Britain, CT, USA
| | - Morris Bell
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kevin Pelphrey
- University of Virginia, Department of Neurology, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Godfrey Pearlson
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT, USA
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michal Assaf
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT, USA
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
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Rainer LJ, Kronbichler M, Kuchukhidze G, Trinka E, Langthaler PB, Kronbichler L, Said-Yuerekli S, Kirschner M, Zimmermann G, Höfler J, Schmid E, Braun M. Emotional Word Processing in Patients With Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. Front Neurol 2022; 13:875950. [PMID: 35720080 PMCID: PMC9201996 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.875950] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective According to Panksepp's hierarchical emotion model, emotion processing relies on three functionally and neuroanatomically distinct levels. These levels comprise subcortical networks (primary level), the limbic system (secondary level), and the neocortex (tertiary level) and are suggested to serve differential emotional processing. We aimed to validate and extend previous evidence of discrete and dimensional emotion processing in patient with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). Methods We recorded brain activity of patients with JME and healthy controls in response to lexical decisions to words reflecting the discrete emotion fear and the affective dimension negativity previously suggested to rely on different brain regions and to reflect different levels of processing. In all study participants, we tested verbal cognitive functions, as well as the relationship of psychiatric conditions, seizure types and duration of epilepsy and emotional word processing. Results In support of the hierarchical emotion model, we found an interaction of discrete emotion and affective dimensional processing in the right amygdala likely to reflect secondary level processing. Brain activity related to affective dimensional processing was found in the right inferior frontal gyrus and is suggested to reflect tertiary level processing. Psychiatric conditions, type of seizure nor mono- vs. polytherapy and duration of epilepsy within patients did not have any effect on the processing of emotional words. In addition, no differences in brain activity or response times between patients and controls were observed, despite neuropsychological testing revealed slightly decreased verbal intelligence, verbal fluency and reading speed in patients with JME. Significance These results were interpreted to be in line with the hierarchical emotion model and to highlight the amygdala's role in processing biologically relevant stimuli, as well as to suggest a semantic foundation of affective dimensional processing in prefrontal cortex. A lack of differences in brain activity of patients with JME and healthy controls in response to the emotional content of words could point to unaffected implicit emotion processing in patients with JME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Johannes Rainer
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, Member of the European Reference Network, Epicare, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Psychology, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultaet, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris-Lodron University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Giorgi Kuchukhidze
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, Member of the European Reference Network, Epicare, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Eugen Trinka
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, Member of the European Reference Network, Epicare, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT–University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
- Karl-Landsteiner Institute for Neurorehabilitation and Space Neurology, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Patrick Benjamin Langthaler
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, Member of the European Reference Network, Epicare, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Mathematics, Paris-Lodron University, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultaet, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Lisa Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarah Said-Yuerekli
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, Member of the European Reference Network, Epicare, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Psychology, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultaet, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris-Lodron University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Margarita Kirschner
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, Member of the European Reference Network, Epicare, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Georg Zimmermann
- Team Biostatistics and Big Medical Data, IDA Lab Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Research and Innovation Management, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Julia Höfler
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, Member of the European Reference Network, Epicare, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Schmid
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg, Member of the European Reference Network, Epicare, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Mario Braun
- Department of Psychology, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultaet, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris-Lodron University, Salzburg, Austria
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Uscătescu LC, Kronbichler L, Stelzig-Schöler R, Pearce BG, Said-Yürekli S, Reich LA, Weber S, Aichhorn W, Kronbichler M. Effective Connectivity of the Hippocampus Can Differentiate Patients with Schizophrenia from Healthy Controls: A Spectral DCM Approach. Brain Topogr 2021; 34:762-778. [PMID: 34482503 PMCID: PMC8556208 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-021-00868-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
We applied spectral dynamic causal modelling (Friston et al. in Neuroimage 94:396–407. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.12.009, 2014) to analyze the effective connectivity differences between the nodes of three resting state networks (i.e. default mode network, salience network and dorsal attention network) in a dataset of 31 male healthy controls (HC) and 25 male patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (SZ). Patients showed increased directed connectivity from the left hippocampus (LHC) to the: dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (DACC), right anterior insula (RAI), left frontal eye fields and the bilateral inferior parietal sulcus (LIPS & RIPS), as well as increased connectivity from the right hippocampus (RHC) to the: bilateral anterior insula (LAI & RAI), right frontal eye fields and RIPS. In SZ, negative symptoms predicted the connectivity strengths from the LHC to: the DACC, the left inferior parietal sulcus (LIPAR) and the RHC, while positive symptoms predicted the connectivity strengths from the LHC to the LIPAR and from the RHC to the LHC. These results reinforce the crucial role of hippocampus dysconnectivity in SZ pathology and its potential as a biomarker of disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavinia Carmen Uscătescu
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Lisa Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Renate Stelzig-Schöler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Brandy-Gale Pearce
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarah Said-Yürekli
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Stefanie Weber
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Aichhorn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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Kronbichler L, Stelzig-Schöler R, Lenger M, Weber S, Pearce BG, Reich LA, Aichhorn W, Kronbichler M. Preserved intention understanding during moral judgments in schizophrenia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251180. [PMID: 34010340 PMCID: PMC8133419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although there is convincing evidence for socio-cognitive impairments in schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD), little evidence is found for deficient moral cognition. We investigated whether patients with SSD showed altered moral judgments in a story task where the protagonist either had a neutral or malicious intention towards another person. This paradigm examined whether SSD relates to altered moral cognition in general or specifically to impaired integration of prior information (such as beliefs) in moral judgments. METHODS 23 patients and 32 healthy controls read vignettes created in a 2 x 2 design. The protagonist in each story either had a neutral or negative intention towards another person which, as a result, either died (negative outcome) or did not die (neutral outcome). Participants rated the moral permissibility of the protagonist's action. Standard null hypothesis significance testing and equivalent Bayes analyses are reported. RESULTS Schizophrenia patients did not differ significantly in permissibility ratings from healthy controls. This finding was supported by the Bayes analyses which favoured the null hypothesis. Task performance was not related to symptom severity or medication. CONCLUSIONS The current findings do not support the notion that moral judgments are deficient in schizophrenia. Furthermore, the current study shows that patients do not have observable difficulties in integrating the protagonist's belief in the rating of the moral permissibility of the action-outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Renate Stelzig-Schöler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Melanie Lenger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Stefanie Weber
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Brandy-Gale Pearce
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Luise-Antonia Reich
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Aichhorn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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Spitzhüttl JS, Kronbichler M, Kronbichler L, Benzing V, Siegwart V, Schmidt M, Pastore-Wapp M, Kiefer C, Slavova N, Grotzer M, Steinlin M, Roebers CM, Leibundgut K, Everts R. Cortical Morphometry and Its Relationship with Cognitive Functions in Children after non-CNS Cancer. Dev Neurorehabil 2021; 24:266-275. [PMID: 33724900 DOI: 10.1080/17518423.2021.1898059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Background: Childhood cancer survivors (Ccs) are at risk for cognitive late-effects, which might result from cortical alterations, even if cancer does not affect the brain. The study aimed to examine gray and white matter volume and its relationship to cognition. Methods: Forty-three Ccs of non-central nervous system cancers and 43 healthy controls, aged 7-16 years, were examined. Cognitive functions and fine motor coordination were assessed and T1-weighted images were collected for voxel-based morphometry. Results: Executive functions (p = .024, d = .31) were poorer in Ccs than controls, however still within the normal range. The volume of the amygdala (p = .011, ŋ2 = .117) and the striatum (p = .03, ŋ2 = .102) was reduced in Ccs. No significant structure-function correlations were found, neither in patients nor controls. Conclusion: Non-CNS childhood cancer and its treatment impacts on brain structures relevant to emotion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine S Spitzhüttl
- Division of Neuropediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation Development, University Children's Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Lisa Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Valentin Benzing
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Valerie Siegwart
- Division of Neuropediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation Development, University Children's Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mirko Schmidt
- Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Manuela Pastore-Wapp
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Claus Kiefer
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nedelina Slavova
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael Grotzer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maja Steinlin
- Division of Neuropediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation Development, University Children's Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Kurt Leibundgut
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Regula Everts
- Division of Neuropediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation Development, University Children's Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Spitzhüttl JS, Kronbichler M, Kronbichler L, Benzing V, Siegwart V, Pastore‐Wapp M, Kiefer C, Slavova N, Grotzer M, Roebers CM, Steinlin M, Leibundgut K, Everts R. Impact of non-CNS childhood cancer on resting-state connectivity and its association with cognition. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e01931. [PMID: 33205895 PMCID: PMC7821559 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Non-central nervous system cancer in childhood (non-CNS CC) and its treatments pose a major threat to brain development, with implications for functional networks. Structural and functional alterations might underlie the cognitive late-effects identified in survivors of non-CNS CC. The present study evaluated resting-state functional networks and their associations with cognition in a mixed sample of non-CNS CC survivors (i.e., leukemia, lymphoma, and other non-CNS solid tumors). METHODS Forty-three patients (off-therapy for at least 1 year and aged 7-16 years) were compared with 43 healthy controls matched for age and sex. High-resolution T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were acquired. Executive functions, attention, processing speed, and memory were assessed outside the scanner. RESULTS Cognitive performance was within the normal range for both groups; however, patients after CNS-directed therapy showed lower executive functions than controls. Seed-based connectivity analyses revealed that patients exhibited stronger functional connectivity between fronto- and temporo-parietal pathways and weaker connectivity between parietal-cerebellar and temporal-occipital pathways in the right hemisphere than controls. Functional hyperconnectivity was related to weaker memory performance in the patients' group. CONCLUSION These data suggest that even in the absence of brain tumors, non-CNS CC and its treatment can lead to persistent cerebral alterations in resting-state network connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine S. Spitzhüttl
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
- Neuropediatrics, Development and RehabilitationUniversity Children's Hospital Bern, and University of BernBernSwitzerland
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and OncologyUniversity Children's Hospital BernUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of PsychologyUniversity of SalzburgSalzburgAustria
- Neuroscience InstituteChristian‐Doppler Medical CentreParacelsus Medical UniversitySalzburgAustria
| | - Lisa Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of PsychologyUniversity of SalzburgSalzburgAustria
- Neuroscience InstituteChristian‐Doppler Medical CentreParacelsus Medical UniversitySalzburgAustria
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and PsychosomaticsChristian‐Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical UniversitySalzburgAustria
| | - Valentin Benzing
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and OncologyUniversity Children's Hospital BernUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
- Institute of Sport ScienceUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Valerie Siegwart
- Neuropediatrics, Development and RehabilitationUniversity Children's Hospital Bern, and University of BernBernSwitzerland
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and OncologyUniversity Children's Hospital BernUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Manuela Pastore‐Wapp
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN)Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, InselspitalBern University Hospital, and University of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Claus Kiefer
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN)Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, InselspitalBern University Hospital, and University of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Nedelina Slavova
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN)Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, InselspitalBern University Hospital, and University of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Michael Grotzer
- Department of Pediatric OncologyUniversity Children's Hospital ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Maja Steinlin
- Neuropediatrics, Development and RehabilitationUniversity Children's Hospital Bern, and University of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Kurt Leibundgut
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and OncologyUniversity Children's Hospital BernUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Regula Everts
- Neuropediatrics, Development and RehabilitationUniversity Children's Hospital Bern, and University of BernBernSwitzerland
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and OncologyUniversity Children's Hospital BernUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
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8
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Viol K, Schiepek G, Kronbichler M, Hartl A, Grafetstätter C, Strasser P, Kastinger A, Schöller H, Reiter EM, Said-Yürekli S, Kronbichler L, Kravanja-Spannberger B, Stöger-Schmidinger B, Hütt MT, Aichhorn W, Aas B. Multi-level assessment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) reveals relations between neural and neurochemical levels. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:559. [PMID: 33238940 PMCID: PMC7687999 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02913-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While considerable progress has been made in exploring the psychological, the neural, and the neurochemical dimensions of OCD separately, their interplay is still an open question, especially their changes during psychotherapy. METHODS Seventeen patients were assessed at these three levels by psychological questionnaires, fMRI, and venipuncture before and after inpatient psychotherapy. Seventeen controls were scanned at comparable time intervals. First, pre/post treatment changes were investigated for all three levels separately: symptom severity, whole-brain and regional activity, and the concentrations of cortisol, serotonin, dopamine, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and immunological parameters (IL-6, IL-10, TNFα). Second, stepwise linear modeling was used to find relations between the variables of the levels. RESULTS The obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and overall symptom severity was significantly reduced after psychotherapy. At the neural level, the activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), in frontal regions, in the precuneus, and in the putamen had significantly decreased. No significant changes were found on the neurochemical level. When connecting the levels, a highly significant model was found that explains the decrease in neural activity of the putamen by increases of the concentrations of cortisol, IL-6, and dopamine. CONCLUSION Multivariate approaches offer insight on the influences that the different levels of the psychiatric disorder OCD have on each other. More research and adapted models are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Viol
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer-Strasse 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria ,grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Günter Schiepek
- Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer-Strasse 79, 5020, Salzburg, Austria. .,Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. .,Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- grid.7039.d0000000110156330Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria ,grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Arnulf Hartl
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Institute for Ecomedicine, Christian-Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Carina Grafetstätter
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Institute for Ecomedicine, Christian-Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Peter Strasser
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Institute of Biochemical Diagnostic, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anna Kastinger
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer-Strasse 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria ,grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Helmut Schöller
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer-Strasse 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria ,grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Eva-Maria Reiter
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Department for Radiotherapy and Radio-Oncology, Christian-Doppler University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarah Said-Yürekli
- grid.7039.d0000000110156330Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria ,grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria ,grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Department for Neurology, Christian-Doppler University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Lisa Kronbichler
- grid.7039.d0000000110156330Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria ,grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Brigitte Kravanja-Spannberger
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Barbara Stöger-Schmidinger
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Marc-Thorsten Hütt
- grid.15078.3b0000 0000 9397 8745Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Aichhorn
- grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer-Strasse 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria ,grid.21604.310000 0004 0523 5263Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Benjamin Aas
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany ,grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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9
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Kronbichler L, Stelzig-Schöler R, Pearce BG, Tschernegg M, Said-Yürekli S, Crone JS, Uscatescu LC, Reich LA, Weber S, Aichhorn W, Perner J, Kronbichler M. Reduced spontaneous perspective taking in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 292:5-12. [PMID: 31472416 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Judgments about another person's visual perspective are impaired when the self-perspective is inconsistent with the other-perspective. This is a robust finding in healthy samples as well as in schizophrenia (SZ). Studies show evidence for the existence of a reverse effect, where an inconsistent other-perspective impairs the self-perspective. Such spontaneous perspective taking processes are not yet explored in SZ. In the current fMRI experiment, 24 healthy and 24 schizophrenic participants performed a visual perspective taking task in the scanner. Either a social or a non-social stimulus was presented and their visual perspectives were consistent or inconsistent with the self-perspective of the participant. We replicated previous findings showing that healthy participants show increased reaction times when the human avatar's perspective is inconsistent to the self-perspective. Patients with SZ, however, did not show this effect, neither in the social nor in the non-social condition. BOLD responses revealed similar patterns in occipital areas and group differences were identified in the middle occipital gyrus. These findings suggest that patients with SZ are less likely to spontaneously compute the visual perspectives of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer Straße 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Renate Stelzig-Schöler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer Straße 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Brandy-Gale Pearce
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer Straße 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Melanie Tschernegg
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarah Said-Yürekli
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer Straße 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Julia Sophia Crone
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lavinia-Carmen Uscatescu
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer Straße 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Luise Antonia Reich
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Weber
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer Straße 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Aichhorn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer Straße 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Josef Perner
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz-Harrer Straße 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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10
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Kuchukhidze G, Höfler J, Kronbichler M, Schmid E, Kirschner M, Rainer L, Kronbichler L, Gaggl J, Trinka E. Emotion recognition and social cognition in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Z Epileptol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10309-019-0261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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11
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Viol K, Aas B, Kastinger A, Kronbichler M, Schöller HJ, Reiter EM, Said-Yürekli S, Kronbichler L, Kravanja-Spannberger B, Stöger-Schmidinger B, Aichhorn W, Schiepek GK. Erroneously Disgusted: fMRI Study Supports Disgust-Related Neural Reuse in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:81. [PMID: 31068796 PMCID: PMC6491783 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: fMRI scans of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) consistently show a hyperactivity of the insular cortex, a region responsible for disgust-processing, when confronted with symptom-triggering stimuli. This asks for an investigation of the role of disgust and the insula in OCD patients. Methods: Seventeen inpatients with OCD and 17 healthy controls (HC) underwent fMRI scanning. Whole-brain contrasts were calculated for “Disgust vs. Neutral” for both groups, plus an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess the interaction between group and condition. Additionally, the emotional dimensions of valence and arousal, along with the ability to cope, were assessed by picture ratings. Results: The picture ratings confirmed the patients’ heightened sensitivity to disgust with higher values for arousal and inability to cope, but not for valence. fMRI scans revealed no hyperactivity of the insula in patients compared to controls for the condition “Disgust vs. Neutral,” indicating no basic hypersensitivity to disgusting stimuli. Increased activity in the precuneus in controls for this condition might correspond to the downregulation of arousal. Conclusions: The absent differences in neural activity of the insula in patients compared to controls for the disgust-condition, but heightened activity for symptom-provoking conditions, suggests that the illness is due to an erroneous recruitment of the insula cortex for OCD-stimuli. The finding is interpreted within the framework of the neural reuse hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Viol
- Institute for Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Benjamin Aas
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Kastinger
- Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Department for Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Clinic, University Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Helmut Johannes Schöller
- Institute for Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Eva-Maria Reiter
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Clinic, University Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Department for Radiotherapy and Radio-Oncology, Christian Doppler Clinic, University Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarah Said-Yürekli
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Clinic, University Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Neurology, Christian-Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Lisa Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Clinic, University Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Barbara Stöger-Schmidinger
- Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Aichhorn
- Institute for Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Guenter Karl Schiepek
- Institute for Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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12
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Viol K, Aas B, Kastinger A, Kronbichler M, Schöller H, Reiter EM, Said-Yürekli S, Kronbichler L, Kravanja-Spannberger B, Stöger-Schmidinger B, Aichhorn W, Schiepek G. Individual OCD-provoking stimuli activate disorder-related and self-related neuronal networks in fMRI. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 283:135-144. [PMID: 30594423 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
For patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), whose triggers are highly idiosyncratic, individual stimulus material has been used in several fMRI studies. This study aims at comparing individual to standardized picture sets and at investigating a possible overlap of the former with the self-referential neuronal network. During fMRI-scanning, 17 inpatients with OCD and 17 healthy controls were exposed to pictures of their personal triggers, photographed in their domestic environments, to standardized pictures designed to provoke OCD symptoms, and to neutral pictures. Whole-brain analyses were calculated and the pictures were rated by both patients and controls with respect to valence, arousal, and coping. Patients rated the individualized stimuli lower in valence and coping and higher in arousal compared to controls, and also compared to standardized OCD- and neutral stimuli. The individual stimuli elicited neuronal activity in the cingulate cortex, hippocampus, insula, middle frontal/precentral gyrus, superior/inferior parietal lobe, and precuneus, while no group difference was detected by the standardized OCD-stimuli. In conclusion, individual picture sets facilitate the detection of neuronal activity, but the results might be confounded due to the overlap with the network of self-referential processing and memory retrieval. The use of individual symptom-provoking and individual neutral stimuli would therefore be optimal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Viol
- Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Benjamin Aas
- Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Kastinger
- Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Helmut Schöller
- Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Reiter
- Department for Radiotherapy and Radio-Oncology, Christian-Doppler University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarah Said-Yürekli
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department for Neurology, Christian-Doppler University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Lisa Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Brigitte Kravanja-Spannberger
- Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Barbara Stöger-Schmidinger
- Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Aichhorn
- Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Günter Schiepek
- Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychosomatics and Inpatient Psychotherapy, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
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13
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Kronbichler L, Said-Yürekli S, Kronbichler M. Perceptual Expectations of Object Stimuli Modulate Repetition Suppression in a Delayed Repetition Design. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12526. [PMID: 30131582 PMCID: PMC6104074 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31091-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Several fMRI and EEG/MEG studies show that repetition suppression (RS) effects are stronger when a stimulus repetition is expected compared to when a stimulus repetition is less expected. To date, the prevalent way to assess the influence of expectations on RS is via immediate stimulus repetition designs, that is, no intervening stimuli appear between the initial and repeated presentation of a stimulus. Since there is evidence that repetition lag may alter RS effects in a qualitative manner, the current study investigated how perceptual expectations modify RS effects on object stimuli when repetition lag is relatively long. Region of interest analyses in the left occipital cortex revealed a similar activation pattern as identified in previous studies on immediate lag: RS effects were strongest when repetitions were expected compared to decreased RS effects when repetitions were less expected. Therefore, the current study expands previous research in two ways: First, we replicate prior studies showing that perceptual expectation effects can be observed in object-sensitive occipital areas. Second, the finding that expectation effects can be found even for several-minute lags proposes that Bayesian inference processes are a relatively robust component in visual stimulus processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Sarah Said-Yürekli
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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14
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Kronbichler L, Stelzig-Schöler R, Pearce BG, Tschernegg M, Said-Yürekli S, Reich LA, Weber S, Aichhorn W, Kronbichler M. Schizophrenia and Category-Selectivity in the Brain: Normal for Faces but Abnormal for Houses. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:47. [PMID: 29527179 PMCID: PMC5829027 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Face processing is regularly found to be impaired in schizophrenia (SZ), thus suggesting that social malfunctioning might be caused by dysfunctional face processing. Most studies focused on emotional face processes, whereas non-emotional face processing received less attention. While current reports on abnormal face processing in SZ are mixed, examinations of non-emotional face processing compared to adequate control stimuli may clarify whether SZ is characterized by a face-processing deficit. Patients with SZ (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 30) engaged in an fMRI scan where images of non-emotional faces and houses were presented. A simple inverted-picture detection task warranted the participants' attention. Region of interest (ROI) analyses were conducted on face-sensitive regions including the fusiform face area, the occipital face area, and the superior temporal sulcus. Scene-sensitivity was assessed in the parahippocampal place area (PPA) and served as control condition. Patients did not show aberrant face-related neural processes in face-sensitive regions. This finding was also evident when analyses were done on individually defined ROIs or on in-house-localizer ROIs. Patients revealed a decreased specificity toward house stimuli as reflected in decreased neural response toward houses in the PPA. Again, this result was supported by supplementary analyses. Neural activation toward neutral faces was not found to be impaired in SZ, therefore speaking against an overall face-processing deficit. Aberrant activation in scene-sensitive PPA is also found in assessments of memory processes in SZ. It is up to future studies to show how impairments in PPA relate to functional outcome in SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Renate Stelzig-Schöler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Brandy-Gale Pearce
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Melanie Tschernegg
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarah Said-Yürekli
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Luise Antonia Reich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Weber
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Aichhorn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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15
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Abstract
Social cognition abilities are severely impaired in schizophrenia (SZ). The current meta-analysis used foci of 21 individual studies on functional abnormalities in the schizophrenic brain in order to identify regions that reveal convergent under- or over-activation during theory of mind (TOM) tasks. Studies were included in the analyses when contrasting tasks that require the processing of mental states with tasks which did not. Only studies that investigated patients with an ICD or DSM diagnosis were included. Quantitative voxel-based meta-analyses were done using Seed-based d Mapping software. Common TOM regions like medial-prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction revealed abnormal activation in schizophrenic patients: Under-activation was identified in the medial prefrontal cortex, left orbito-frontal cortex, and in a small section of the left posterior temporo-parietal junction. Remarkably, robust over-activation was identified in a more dorsal, bilateral section of the temporo-parietal junction. Further abnormal activation was identified in medial occipito-parietal cortex, right premotor areas, left cingulate gyrus, and lingual gyrus. The findings of this study suggest that SZ patients simultaneously show over- and under-activation in TOM-related regions. Especially interesting, temporo-parietal junction reveals diverging activation patterns with an under-activating left posterior and an over-activating bilateral dorsal section. In conclusion, SZ patients show less specialized brain activation in regions linked to TOM and increased activation in attention-related networks suggesting compensatory effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Paracelsus Medical University, Christian-Doppler Clinic, Salzburg, Austria,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Neuroscience Institute Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; tel: +43-57255-56795, fax: +43-662-4483-3089, e-mail:
| | - Melanie Tschernegg
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria,Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anna Isabel Martin
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria,Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Matthias Schurz
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria,Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Neuroscience Institute, Paracelsus Medical University, Christian-Doppler Clinic, Salzburg, Austria,Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria,Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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