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Dzafic I, Larsen KM, Darke H, Pertile H, Carter O, Sundram S, Garrido MI. Stronger Top-Down and Weaker Bottom-Up Frontotemporal Connections During Sensory Learning Are Associated With Severity of Psychotic Phenomena. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:1039-1047. [PMID: 33404057 PMCID: PMC8266649 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa188] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Recent theories in computational psychiatry propose that unusual perceptual experiences and delusional beliefs may emerge as a consequence of aberrant inference and disruptions in sensory learning. The current study investigates these theories and examines the alterations that are specific to schizophrenia spectrum disorders vs those that occur as psychotic phenomena intensify, regardless of diagnosis. We recruited 66 participants: 22 schizophrenia spectrum inpatients, 22 nonpsychotic inpatients, and 22 nonclinical controls. Participants completed the reversal oddball task with volatility manipulated. We recorded neural responses with electroencephalography and measured behavioral errors to inferences on sound probabilities. Furthermore, we explored neural dynamics using dynamic causal modeling (DCM). Attenuated prediction errors (PEs) were specifically observed in the schizophrenia spectrum, with reductions in mismatch negativity in stable, and P300 in volatile, contexts. Conversely, aberrations in connectivity were observed across all participants as psychotic phenomena increased. DCM revealed that impaired sensory learning behavior was associated with decreased intrinsic connectivity in the left primary auditory cortex and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG); connectivity in the latter was also reduced with greater severity of psychotic experiences. Moreover, people who experienced more hallucinations and psychotic-like symptoms had decreased bottom-up and increased top-down frontotemporal connectivity, respectively. The findings provide evidence that reduced PEs are specific to the schizophrenia spectrum, but deficits in brain connectivity are aligned on the psychosis continuum. Along the continuum, psychotic experiences were related to an aberrant interplay between top-down, bottom-up, and intrinsic connectivity in the IFG during sensory uncertainty. These findings provide novel insights into psychosis neurocomputational pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilvana Dzafic
- Department of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kit M Larsen
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia.,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services Capital Region Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hayley Darke
- Department of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Holly Pertile
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Monash Medical Centre, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Olivia Carter
- Department of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Suresh Sundram
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Monash Medical Centre, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Marta I Garrido
- Department of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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