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Knobloch S, Leiding D, Wagels L, Regenbogen C, Kellermann T, Mathiak K, Schneider F, Derntl B, Habel U. Empathy in schizophrenia: neural alterations during emotion recognition and affective sharing. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1288028. [PMID: 38855645 PMCID: PMC11157094 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1288028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Deficits in emotion recognition and processing are characteristic for patients with schizophrenia [SCZ]. Methods We targeted both emotion recognition and affective sharing, one in static and one in dynamic facial stimuli, during functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI] in 22 SCZ patients and 22 matched healthy controls [HC]. Current symptomatology and cognitive deficits were assessed as potential influencing factors. Results Behaviorally, patients only showed a prolonged response time in age-discrimination trials. For emotion-processing trials, patients showed a difference in neural response, without an observable behavioral correlate. During emotion and age recognition in static stimuli, a reduced activation of the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex [ACC] and the right anterior insula [AI] emerged. In the affective sharing task, patients showed a reduced activation in the left and right caudate nucleus, right AI and inferior frontal gyrus [IFG], right cerebellum, and left thalamus, key areas of empathy. Discussion We conclude that patients have deficits in complex visual information processing regardless of emotional content on a behavioral level and that these deficits coincide with aberrant neural activation patterns in emotion processing networks. The right AI as an integrator of these networks plays a key role in these aberrant neural activation patterns and, thus, is a promising candidate area for neurofeedback approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Knobloch
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Branch (PNB), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Delia Leiding
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lisa Wagels
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) – Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christina Regenbogen
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Thilo Kellermann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) – Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
| | - Klaus Mathiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Frank Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Department of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Centre for Health and Society (chs), School of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) – Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
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Shalev I, Eran A, Uzefovsky F. Empathic disequilibrium as a new framework for understanding individual differences in psychopathology. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1153447. [PMID: 37275732 PMCID: PMC10236526 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1153447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Empathy is part of basic social cognition and is central to everyday interactions. Indeed, emotional and cognitive empathy deficits are related to various psychopathologies, yet the links reported have been inconsistent. Thus, the mechanism underlying these inconsistent links is poorly understood. At least a partial answer may lie in that the dependency between cognitive and emotional empathy has been overlooked. Here, we examined the (dis)equilibrium between emotional and cognitive empathy and how it relates to individual differences in clinical traits. We further examined a possible mediator of these links-emotional reactivity. Methods Participants (N = 425) from the general population reported on their empathy, emotional reactivity, autistic traits, psychopathic tendencies, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results Beyond empathy, both extremes of empathic disequilibrium were associated with various features of clinical conditions; Higher emotional relative to cognitive empathy was related to the social domain of autism and anxiety, while higher cognitive relative to emotional empathy was related to the non-social domain of autism, depression symptoms, and psychopathic tendencies. The associations with autistic traits, anxiety, and psychopathic tendencies were mediated by emotional reactivity. Discussion Our findings suggest a new framework for understanding how individual variability in empathy is expressed in various psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Shalev
- Psychology Department, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheba, Israel
| | - Alal Eran
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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Sung YW, Kiyama S, Choi US, Ogawa S. Involvement of the intrinsic functional network of the red nucleus in complex behavioral processing. Cereb Cortex Commun 2022; 3:tgac037. [PMID: 36159204 PMCID: PMC9491841 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgac037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Previous studies suggested the possibility that the red nucleus (RN) is involved in other cognitive functions than motion per se, even though such functions have yet to be clarified. We investigated the activation of RN during several tasks and its intrinsic functional network associated with social cognition and musical practice. The tasks included finger tapping, n-back, and memory recall tasks. Region of interest for RN was identified through those tasks, anatomical information of RN, and a brain atlas. The intrinsic functional network was identified for RN by an analysis of connectivity between RN and other regions typically involved in seven known resting state functional networks with RN used as the seed region. Association of the RN network with a psychological trait of the interpersonal reactivity index and musical training years revealed subnetworks that included empathy related regions or music practice related regions. These social or highly coordinated motor activity represent the most complex functions ever known to involve the RN, adding further evidence for the multifunctional roles of RN. These discoveries may lead to a new direction of investigations to clarify probable novel roles for RN in high-level human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yul-Wan Sung
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University , Sendai, Miyagi 9893201 , Japan
| | - Sachiko Kiyama
- Department of Linguistics, Tohoku University , Sendai, Miyagi 9800862 , Japan
| | - Uk-Su Choi
- Medical Device Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation , Daegu 41061 , Republic of Korea
| | - Seiji Ogawa
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University , Sendai, Miyagi 9893201 , Japan
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Valizadeh A, Mbwogge M, Rasouli Yazdi A, Hedayati Amlashi N, Haadi A, Shayestefar M, Moassefi M. The mirror mechanism in schizophrenia: A systematic review and qualitative meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:884828. [PMID: 36213922 PMCID: PMC9532849 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.884828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mirror neuron system (MNS) consists of visuomotor neurons that are responsible for the mirror neuron activity (MNA), meaning that each time an individual observes another individual performing an action, these neurons encode that action, and are activated in the observer's cortical motor system. Previous studies report its malfunction in autism, opening doors to investigate the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder in a more elaborate way and coming up with new rehabilitation methods. The study of MNA function in schizophrenia patients has not been as frequent and conclusive as in autism. In this research, we aimed to evaluate the functional integrity of MNA and the microstructural integrity of MNS in schizophrenia patients. METHODS We included case-control studies that have evaluated MNA in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls using a variety of objective assessment tools. In August 2022, we searched Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science for eligible studies. We used an adapted version of the NIH Quality Assessment of Case-Control Studies tool to assess the quality of the included studies. Evidence was analyzed using vote counting methods of the direction of the effect and was tested statistically using the Sign test. Certainty of evidence was assessed using CERQual. RESULTS We included 32 studies for the analysis. Statistical tests revealed decreased MNA (p = 0.002) in schizophrenia patients. The certainty of the evidence was judged to be moderate. Investigations of heterogeneity revealed a possible relationship between the age and the positive symptoms of participants in the included studies and the direction of the observed effect. DISCUSSION This finding contributes to gaining a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder by revealing its possible relation to some of the symptoms in schizophrenia patients, while also highlighting a new commonality with autism. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO identifier: CRD42021236453.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Valizadeh
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | | | - Ainaaz Haadi
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Monir Shayestefar
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mana Moassefi
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Arioli M, Cattaneo Z, Ricciardi E, Canessa N. Overlapping and specific neural correlates for empathizing, affective mentalizing, and cognitive mentalizing: A coordinate-based meta-analytic study. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:4777-4804. [PMID: 34322943 PMCID: PMC8410528 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
While the discussion on the foundations of social understanding mainly revolves around the notions of empathy, affective mentalizing, and cognitive mentalizing, their degree of overlap versus specificity is still unclear. We took a meta-analytic approach to unveil the neural bases of cognitive mentalizing, affective mentalizing, and empathy, both in healthy individuals and pathological conditions characterized by social deficits such as schizophrenia and autism. We observed partially overlapping networks for cognitive and affective mentalizing in the medial prefrontal, posterior cingulate, and lateral temporal cortex, while empathy mainly engaged fronto-insular, somatosensory, and anterior cingulate cortex. Adjacent process-specific regions in the posterior lateral temporal, ventrolateral, and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex might underpin a transition from abstract representations of cognitive mental states detached from sensory facets to emotionally-charged representations of affective mental states. Altered mentalizing-related activity involved distinct sectors of the posterior lateral temporal cortex in schizophrenia and autism, while only the latter group displayed abnormal empathy related activity in the amygdala. These data might inform the design of rehabilitative treatments for social cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Arioli
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Zaira Cattaneo
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Canessa
- ICoN center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy.,Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Pavia, Italy
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Hu X, Zhang S, Wu L, Fan Y, Wang Q, Chen X, Zhang L, Tian Y. Impaired pain empathic abilities among patients with functional dyspepsia. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2021; 26:153-165. [PMID: 33730969 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2021.1897558] [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] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Brain structure or functioning abnormality in regions such as insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is associated with functional dyspepsia (FD) and pain empathy, but the relationship between FD and pain empathy remains unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the pain empathic abilities of FD patients and healthy controls (HCs) and investigate the association of pain empathy with clinical characteristics and quality of life of FD patients. METHODS Pain empathic abilities was measured in 30 FD patients and 30 HCs using a validated pain empathy paradigm. Demographic characteristics, Helicobacter pylori status, duration, dyspeptic symptom score and Nepean Dyspepsia Life Quality Index (NDLQI) were obtained from all patients. RESULTS FD patients scored higher than HCs when rating painful pictures, but the accuracy for painful pictures was significantly lower than HCs. Pearson correlation analysis showed significant negative correlation between NDLQI and pain rating scores for painful pictures. When sex, age, educational level, the number of complaints, duration, H. pylori infection and NDLQI were included in multiple linear regression analysis, NDLQI was independently associated with pain ratings. CONCLUSIONS FD patients showed abnormally enhanced pain empathic abilities, which may be associated with the severity of symptoms and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangpeng Hu
- Digestive Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Shenshen Zhang
- Digestive Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Lihong Wu
- Digestive Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinguang Fan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of public health of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiao Wang
- Digestive Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoming Chen
- Digestive Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijiu Zhang
- Digestive Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanghua Tian
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
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7
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Shi LJ, Zhou HY, Wang Y, Shen YM, Fang YM, He YQ, Ou JJ, Li HB, Luo XR, Cheung EFC, Pantelis C, Chan RCK. Altered empathy-related resting-state functional connectivity in adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 53:102167. [PMID: 32474345 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Empathy refers to the ability to understand other people's feelings and reacting emotionally to others. Impaired empathy has been reported in both individuals with schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Despite overlaps, few studies have directly examined the neural mechanisms of impaired empathy in these two clinical groups. We used resting-state fMRI to investigate the neural correlates of empathic functioning in adolescents with ASD (N = 11), early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) (N = 20), and typically developing (TD) controls (N = 26). Their parents completed the Griffith Empathy Measure (GEM) to assess the adolescents' empathic capacity. We found that EOS and ASD participants both exhibited impaired empathy as measured by the GEM, especially in cognitive empathy (post-hoc ps < 0.05). Regions-of-interest-based functional connectivity revealed decreased connectivity between the salience network (SN) (i.e., the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex) and core regions of the mentalizing network (e.g., the temporal-parietal junction and the precuneus), and among the SN and the bilateral superior temporal gyri (STG) and the left cerebellum in EOS participants. Subsequent comparisons revealed reduced grey matter volume in the STG bilaterally in both clinical groups. Increased resting-state functional connectivity within the social brain network was correlated with higher parent-reported scores of empathic capacity in TD adolescents, but such a brain-phenotype relationship was absent in the two clinical groups. These findings indicate that structural alterations and disturbed resting-state functional connectivity in the core empathy network may be the neural correlates of social cognitive deficits in individuals with EOS and ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Juan Shi
- School of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan, China; Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Han-Yu Zhou
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Mei Shen
- Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yu-Min Fang
- Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yu-Qiong He
- Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jian-Jun Ou
- Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hua-Bing Li
- Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xue-Rong Luo
- Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Eric F C Cheung
- Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia; Florey Institute for Neurosciences and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Vaskinn A, Horan WP. Social Cognition and Schizophrenia: Unresolved Issues and New Challenges in a Maturing Field of Research. Schizophr Bull 2020; 46:464-470. [PMID: 32133507 PMCID: PMC7147571 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social cognition has become a topic of widespread interest in experimental and treatment research in schizophrenia over the past 15 years. This explosion of interest largely reflects the robust evidence that social cognition is among the strongest known correlates of poor community functioning throughout the course of schizophrenia. While progress has been impressive, we consider several fundamental questions about the scope, structure, and optimal measurement of social cognition that remain unanswered and point to the need for continued method development. We also consider more recently emerging questions about individual differences, ecological and cross-cultural validity, and intervention approaches, as well as broader technological changes that impact how we understand and use social cognition at a societal level. Continued efforts to creatively grapple with the complexities and challenges the field now faces hold great promise for helping us understand and more effectively treat a major source of functional disability in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Vaskinn
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway,Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway,To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: + 47 23 02 73 31, fax: + 47 23 02 73 33,
| | - William P Horan
- VeraSci Inc, Durham, NC,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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Vucurovic K, Caillies S, Kaladjian A. Neural correlates of theory of mind and empathy in schizophrenia: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 120:163-174. [PMID: 31689587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition impairment predicts social functioning in schizophrenia. Several studies have found abnormal brain activation in patients with schizophrenia during social cognition tasks. Nevertheless, no coordinate-based meta-analysis comparing the neural correlates of theory of mind and empathy had been done in this population. Our aim was to explore neural correlates related to theory of mind and empathy in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls, in order to identify abnormal brain activation related to emotional content during mental state attribution in schizophrenia. We performed a neural-coordinate-based Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of existing neuroimaging data in the literature to distinguish between abnormal brain maps associated with emotional attribution and those associated with intention/belief inference. We found that brain activation in patients group was significantly decreased in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) during emotional attribution, while there was a significant decrease in the left posterior temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during intention/belief attribution. Using a meta-analytic connectivity modeling approach (MACM), we demonstrated that both regions are coactivated with other brain regions known to play a role in social cognition, including the bilateral anterior insula, right TPJ, left amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In addition, abnormal activation in both the left TPJ and right VLPFC was previously reported in association with verbal-auditory hallucinations and a "jumping to conclusions" cognitive bias. Thus, these regions could be valuable targets for therapeutic interventions in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenija Vucurovic
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France.
| | - Stéphanie Caillies
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France
| | - Arthur Kaladjian
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Reims, France
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10
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Building blocks of social cognition: Mirror, mentalize, share? Cortex 2019; 118:4-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Green MF, Horan WP, Lee J. Nonsocial and social cognition in schizophrenia: current evidence and future directions. World Psychiatry 2019; 18:146-161. [PMID: 31059632 PMCID: PMC6502429 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 315] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia involves a broad array of nonsocial and social cognitive domains. It is a core feature of the illness, and one with substantial implications for treatment and prognosis. Our understanding of the causes, consequences and interventions for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia has grown substantially in recent years. Here we review a range of topics, including: a) the types of nonsocial cognitive, social cognitive, and perceptual deficits in schizophrenia; b) how deficits in schizophrenia are similar or different from those in other disorders; c) cognitive impairments in the prodromal period and over the lifespan in schizophrenia; d) neuroimaging of the neural substrates of nonsocial and social cognition, and e) relationships of nonsocial and social cognition to functional outcome. The paper also reviews the considerable efforts that have been directed to improve cognitive impairments in schizophrenia through novel psychopharmacology, cognitive remediation, social cognitive training, and alternative approaches. In the final section, we consider areas that are emerging and have the potential to provide future insights, including the interface of motivation and cognition, the influence of childhood adversity, metacognition, the role of neuroinflammation, computational modelling, the application of remote digital technology, and novel methods to evaluate brain network organization. The study of cognitive impairment has provided a way to approach, examine and comprehend a wide range of features of schizophrenia, and it may ultimately affect how we define and diagnose this complex disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Green
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Los AngelesCAUSA,Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical CenterVeterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare SystemLos AngelesCAUSA,Veterans Affairs Program for Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless VeteransLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - William P. Horan
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Los AngelesCAUSA,Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical CenterVeterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare SystemLos AngelesCAUSA,Veterans Affairs Program for Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless VeteransLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Junghee Lee
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Los AngelesCAUSA,Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical CenterVeterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare SystemLos AngelesCAUSA,Veterans Affairs Program for Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless VeteransLos AngelesCAUSA
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Varcin KJ, Grainger SA, Bailey PE, Richmond JL, Henry JD. Empathy for others’ pain is disrupted at the neurophysiological level in schizophrenia. BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 58:406-426. [DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah A. Grainger
- School of Psychology University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Phoebe E. Bailey
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology Western Sydney University New South Wales Australia
| | - Jenny L. Richmond
- School of Psychology University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Julie D. Henry
- School of Psychology University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
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13
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Xiang Y, Wang Y, Gao S, Zhang X, Cui R. Neural Mechanisms With Respect to Different Paradigms and Relevant Regulatory Factors in Empathy for Pain. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:507. [PMID: 30087592 PMCID: PMC6066512 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy for pain is thought to activate the affective-motivational components of the pain matrix, which includes the anterior insula and middle and anterior cingulate cortices, as indicated by functional magnetic resonance imaging and other methodologies. Activity in this core neural network reflects the affective experience that activates our responses to pain and lays the neural foundation for our understanding of our own emotions and those of others. Furthermore, although picture-based paradigms can activate somatosensory components of directly experienced pain, cue-based paradigms cannot. In addition to this difference, the two paradigms evoke other distinct neuronal responses. Although the automatic “perception-action” model has long been the dominant theory for pain empathy, a “bottom-up, top-down” mechanism seems to be more comprehensive and persuasive. Indeed, a variety of factors can regulate the intensity of empathy for pain through “top-down” processes. In this paper, we integrate and generalize knowledge regarding pain empathy and introduce the findings from recent studies. We also present ideas for future research into the neural mechanisms underlying pain empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yien Xiang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yicun Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuohui Gao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Colorectal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuewen Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ranji Cui
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Social affective context reveals altered network dynamics in schizophrenia patients. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:29. [PMID: 29382814 PMCID: PMC5802465 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0055-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Impairments in social cognition and interactions are core psychopathologies in schizophrenia, often manifesting as an inability to appropriately relate to the intentions and feelings of others. Neuroimaging has helped to demarcate the dynamics of two distinct functional connectivity circuits underlying the social-affective processes related to mentalization (known as Theory of Mind, ToM) and somatic-affiliation (known as Embodied Simulation, ES). While evidence points to abnormal activation patterns within these networks among those suffering from schizophrenia, it is yet unclear however, if these patients exhibit this abnormal functional connectivity in the context of social-affective experiences. The current fMRI study, investigated functional connectivity dynamics within ToM and ES networks as subjects experienced evolving cinematic portrayals of fear. During scanning, schizophrenia patients and healthy controls passively watched a cinematic scene in which a mother and her son face various threatening events. Participants then provided a continuous and retrospective report of their fear intensity during a second viewing outside the scanner. Using network cohesion index (NCI) analysis, we examined modulations of ES-related and ToM-related functional connectivity dynamics and their relation to symptom severity and the continuous emotional ratings of the induced cinematic fear. Compared to patients, healthy controls showed higher ES-NCI and marginally lower ToM-NCI during emotional peaks. Cross-correlation analysis revealed an intriguing dynamic between NCI and the inter-group difference of reported fear. Schizophrenia patients rated their fear as lower relative to healthy controls, shortly after exhibiting lower ES connectivity. This increased difference in rating was also followed by higher ToM connectivity among schizophrenia patients. The clinical relevance of these findings is further highlighted by the following two results: (a) ToM-NCI was found to have a strong correlation with the severity of general symptoms during one of the two main emotional peaks (Spearman R = 0.77); and (b) k-mean clustering demonstrated that the networks' NCI dynamic during the social-affective context reliably differentiated between patients and controls. Together, these findings point to a possible neural marker for abnormal social-affective processing in schizophrenia, manifested as the disturbed balance between two functional networks involved in social-affective affiliation. This in turn suggests that exaggerated mentalization over somatic-affiliative processing, in response to another's' distress may underlie social-affective deficits in schizophrenia.
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Mukerji CE, Lincoln SH, Tully LM, Dodell-Feder D, Hooker CI. Neural simulation mechanisms and social-emotional function in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 271:34-42. [PMID: 29174437 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Impairment in simulation, i.e., the generation of internal representations of experiences, may contribute to social dysfunction in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SZ). Using a novel fMRI task, we identified neural representations generated during simulation of sensorimotor experiences and evaluated their associations with socioemotional function in 19 individuals with SZ and 24 psychiatrically-healthy controls (HC). Participants watched videos depicting a painful sensorimotor experience in the hand or foot of another person and were then asked to imagine how unpleasant it would be to undergo that experience themselves, eliciting simulation. A localizer task identified regions-of-interest (ROIs) within each participant's sensorimotor cortices (SC) recruited by firsthand sensory experiences in hands and feet. Simulation engaged these ROIs in HC and SZ. Simulation-related activation in ROIs did not differ between groups but was associated with participants' social function. Findings indicate that simulation elicits specific neural representations within the SC and the strength of these representations might be linked to social function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cora E Mukerji
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Sarah Hope Lincoln
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Laura M Tully
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Imaging Center, 4701 X Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - David Dodell-Feder
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Christine I Hooker
- Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center, 1645 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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Vistoli D, Lavoie MA, Sutliff S, Jackson PL, Achim AM. Functional MRI examination of empathy for pain in people with schizophrenia reveals abnormal activation related to cognitive perspective-taking but typical activation linked to affective sharing. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2017; 42:262-272. [PMID: 28556774 PMCID: PMC5487273 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.160136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is associated with important disturbances in empathy that are related to everyday functioning. Empathy is classically defined as including affective (sharing others' emotions) and cognitive (taking others' cognitive perspectives) processes. In healthy individuals, studies on empathy for pain revealed specific brain systems associated with these sets of processes, notably the anterior middle cingulate (aMCC) and anterior insula (AI) for affective sharing and the bilateral temporoparietal junction (TPJ) for the cognitive processes, but the integrity of these systems in patients with schizophrenia remains uncertain. METHODS Patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls performed a pain empathy task while undergoing fMRI scanning. Participants observed pictures of hands in either painful or nonpainful situations and rated the level of pain while imagining either themselves (self) or an unknown person (other) in these situations. RESULTS We included 27 patients with schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls in our analyses. For the pain versus no pain contrast, patients showed overall typical activation patterns in the aMCC and AI, with only a small part of the aMCC showing reduced activation compared with controls. For the other versus self contrast, patients showed an abnormal modulation of activation in the TPJ bilaterally (extending to the posterior superior temporal sulcus, referred to as the TPJ/pSTS). LIMITATIONS The design included an unnecessary manipulation of the visual perspective that reduced the number of trials for analysis. The sample size may not account for the heterogeneity of schizophrenia. CONCLUSION People with schizophrenia showed relatively intact brain activation when observing others' pain, but showed abnormalities when asked to take the cognitive perspectives of others.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Amélie M. Achim
- Correspondence to: A.M. Achim, Centre de recherche CERVO, 2601, de la Canardière, Québec QC G1J 2G3;
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