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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] [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] [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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Trempler I, Heimsath A, Nieborg J, Bradke B, Schubotz RI, Ohrmann P. Ignore the glitch but mind the switch: Positive effects of methylphenidate on cognition in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are related to prediction gain. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 156:177-185. [PMID: 36252347 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychological symptoms such as inattention and distractibility constitute a core characteristic of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here, we tested the hypothesis that attentional dysfunctions result from a deficit in neural gain modulation, which translates into difficulty in predictively weighting relevant sensory input while ignoring distraction. We compared thirty-seven hitherto untreated adults diagnosed with ADHD and thirty-eight healthy participants with a serial switch-drift task that requires internal models of predictable digit sequences to be either updated or stabilized. Switches between sequences that had to be indicated by key presses and digit omissions within a sequence (drifts) that should be ignored varied by stimulus-bound surprise quantified as Shannon information. To investigate whether catecholaminergic modulation by increasing extracellular norepinephrine and dopamine levels leads to an amelioration in prediction gain, participants were tested twice, with patients receiving a single dose of methylphenidate, a norepinephrine/dopamine reuptake inhibitor, in the second session. Patients and controls differed in both updating and stabilizing, depending on the respective event surprise. Specifically, patients showed difficulty in detecting expectable switches, while having greater difficulty to ignore surprising distractions. Thus, underconfident prior beliefs in ADHD may fail to appropriately weight expected relevant input, whereas the gain of neural responses to unexpected irrelevant distractors is increased. Methylphenidate improved both flexibility and stability of prediction and had a positive effect on selective responding over time. Our results suggest that ADHD is associated with an impairment in the use of prior expectations to optimally weight sensory inputs, which is improved by increasing catecholaminergic neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ima Trempler
- Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Germany; Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Germany; LWL-Hospital Muenster, Germany.
| | - Alexander Heimsath
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Muenster, Germany
| | - Julia Nieborg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Muenster, Germany
| | - Benedikt Bradke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Muenster, Germany
| | - Ricarda I Schubotz
- Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Germany; Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Germany
| | - Patricia Ohrmann
- Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Germany; LWL-Hospital Muenster, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Muenster, Germany
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Wang Y, Hu X, Li Y. Investigating cognitive flexibility deficit in schizophrenia using task-based whole-brain functional connectivity. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1069036. [PMID: 36479558 PMCID: PMC9719952 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1069036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive flexibility is a core cognitive control function supported by the brain networks of the whole-brain. Schizophrenic patients show deficits in cognitive flexibility in conditions such as task-switching. A large number of neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormalities in local brain activations associated with deficits in cognitive flexibility in schizophrenia, but the relationship between impaired cognitive flexibility and the whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) pattern is unclear. METHOD We investigated the task-based functional connectivity of the whole-brain in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls during task-switching. Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) was utilized to investigate whether the FC pattern can be used as a feature to discriminate schizophrenia patients from healthy controls. Graph theory analysis was further used to quantify the degrees of integration and segregation in the whole-brain networks to interpret the different reconfiguration patterns of brain networks in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. RESULTS The results showed that the FC pattern classified schizophrenia patients and healthy controls with significant accuracy. Moreover, the altered whole-brain functional connectivity pattern was driven by a lower degree of network integration and segregation in schizophrenia, indicating that both global and local information transfers at the entire-network level were less efficient in schizophrenia patients than in healthy controls during task-switching processing. CONCLUSION These results investigated the group differences in FC profiles during task-switching and not only elucidated that FC patterns are changed in schizophrenic patients, suggesting that task-based FC could be used as a potential neuromarker to discriminate schizophrenia patients from healthy controls in cognitive flexibility but also provide increased insight into the brain network organization that may contribute to impaired cognitive flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqing Wang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xueping Hu
- School of Linguistic Science and Art, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Language and Cognitive Neuroscience of Jiangsu Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Language Ability, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yilu Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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