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Hong X, Xu L, Hu Y, Qian Z, Wang J, Li C, Sheng J. An event-related potential study of prepotent motor activity and response inhibition deficits in schizophrenia. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1933-1945. [PMID: 38221669 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Response inhibition deficits in schizophrenia (SZ) are accompanied by reduced neural activities using event-related potential (ERP) measurements. However, it remains unclear whether the reduction in inhibition-related ERPs in SZ is contingent upon prepotent motor tendencies. This study aimed to examine the relationship between ERP markers of prepotent motor activity (lateralised readiness potential, LRP) and response inhibition (P3) by collecting behavioural and EEG data from healthy control (HC) subjects and SZ patients during a modified Go/No-Go task. A trial-averaged analysis revealed that SZ patients made more commission errors in No-Go trials compared with HC subjects, although there was no significant difference in the inhibition-related P3 effect (i.e. larger P3 amplitudes in No-Go compared with Go trials) between the two groups. Subsequently, No-Go trials were sorted and median-split into bins of stronger and weaker motor tendencies. Both HC and SZ participants made more commission errors when faced with stronger motor tendencies. The LRP-sorted P3 data indicated that HC subjects exhibited larger P3 effects in response to stronger motor tendencies, whereas this trial-by-trial association between P3 and motor tendencies was absent in SZ patients. Furthermore, SZ patients displayed diminished P3 effects in No-Go trials with stronger motor tendencies but not in trials with weaker motor tendencies, relative to HC subjects. Taken together, these findings suggest that SZ patients are unable to dynamically adjust inhibition-related neural activities in response to changing inhibitory control demands and emphasise the importance of considering prepotent motor activity when investigating the neural mechanisms underlying response inhibition deficits in SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangfei Hong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lihua Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yegang Hu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenying Qian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jijun Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunbo Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianhua Sheng
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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2
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Shen C, Calvin OL, Rawls E, Redish AD, Sponheim SR. Clarifying Cognitive Control Deficits in Psychosis via Drift Diffusion Modeling. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.08.14.23293891. [PMID: 37645877 PMCID: PMC10462223 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.14.23293891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive control deficits are consistently identified in individuals with schizophrenia and other psychotic psychopathologies. In this analysis, we delineated proactive and reactive control deficits in psychotic psychopathology via hierarchical Drift Diffusion Modeling (hDDM). People with psychosis (PwP; N=123), their first-degree relatives (N=79), and controls (N=51) completed the Dot Pattern Expectancy task, which allows differentiation between proactive and reactive control. PwP demonstrated slower drift rates on proactive control trials suggesting less efficient use of cue information for proactive control. They also showed longer non-decision times than controls on infrequent stimuli sequences suggesting slower perceptual processing. An explainable machine learning analysis indicated that the hDDM parameters were able to differentiate between the groups better than conventional measures. Through DDM, we found that cognitive control deficits in psychosis are characterized by slower motor/perceptual time and slower evidence-integration primarily in proactive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Shen
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN 55455 USA
| | | | - Eric Rawls
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN 55455 USA
| | | | - Scott R Sponheim
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis MN 55417 USA
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN 55455 USA
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3
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Tang B, Levine M, Adamek JH, Wodka EL, Caffo BS, Ewen JB. Evaluating causal psychological models: A study of language theories of autism using a large sample. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1060525. [PMID: 36910768 PMCID: PMC9998497 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1060525] [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: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
We used a large convenience sample (n = 22,223) from the Simons Powering Autism Research (SPARK) dataset to evaluate causal, explanatory theories of core autism symptoms. In particular, the data-items collected supported the testing of theories that posited altered language abilities as cause of social withdrawal, as well as alternative theories that competed with these language theories. Our results using this large dataset converge with the evolution of the field in the decades since these theories were first proposed, namely supporting primary social withdrawal (in some cases of autism) as a cause of altered language development, rather than vice versa. To accomplish the above empiric goals, we used a highly theory-constrained approach, one which differs from current data-driven modeling trends but is coherent with a very recent resurgence in theory-driven psychology. In addition to careful explication and formalization of theoretical accounts, we propose three principles for future work of this type: specification, quantification, and integration. Specification refers to constraining models with pre-existing data, from both outside and within autism research, with more elaborate models and more veridical measures, and with longitudinal data collection. Quantification refers to using continuous measures of both psychological causes and effects, as well as weighted graphs. This approach avoids "universality and uniqueness" tests that hold that a single cognitive difference could be responsible for a heterogeneous and complex behavioral phenotype. Integration of multiple explanatory paths within a single model helps the field examine for multiple contributors to a single behavioral feature or to multiple behavioral features. It also allows integration of explanatory theories across multiple current-day diagnoses and as well as typical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohao Tang
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Jack H Adamek
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ericka L Wodka
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States.,School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Brian S Caffo
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Joshua B Ewen
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States.,School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
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4
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Smucny J, Dienel SJ, Lewis DA, Carter CS. Mechanisms underlying dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contributions to cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:292-308. [PMID: 34285373 PMCID: PMC8617156 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01089-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Kraepelin, in his early descriptions of schizophrenia (SZ), characterized the illness as having "an orchestra without a conductor." Kraepelin further speculated that this "conductor" was situated in the frontal lobes. Findings from multiple studies over the following decades have clearly implicated pathology of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as playing a central role in the pathophysiology of SZ, particularly with regard to key cognitive features such as deficits in working memory and cognitive control. Following an overview of the cognitive mechanisms associated with DLPFC function and how they are altered in SZ, we review evidence from an array of neuroscientific approaches addressing how these cognitive impairments may reflect the underlying pathophysiology of the illness. Specifically, we present evidence suggesting that alterations of the DLPFC in SZ are evident across a range of spatial and temporal resolutions: from its cellular and molecular architecture, to its gross structural and functional integrity, and from millisecond to longer timescales. We then present an integrative model based upon how microscale changes in neuronal signaling in the DLPFC can influence synchronized patterns of neural activity to produce macrocircuit-level alterations in DLPFC activation that ultimately influence cognition and behavior. We conclude with a discussion of initial efforts aimed at targeting DLPFC function in SZ, the clinical implications of those efforts, and potential avenues for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Smucny
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Samuel J Dienel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
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5
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Lizano P, Lutz O, Xu Y, Rubin LH, Paskowitz L, Lee AM, Eum S, Keedy SK, Hill SK, Reilly JL, Wu B, Tamminga CA, Clementz BA, Pearlson GD, Gershon ES, Keshavan MS, Sweeney JA, Bishop JR. Multivariate relationships between peripheral inflammatory marker subtypes and cognitive and brain structural measures in psychosis. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3430-3443. [PMID: 33060818 PMCID: PMC8046847 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00914-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Elevations in peripheral inflammatory markers have been reported in patients with psychosis. Whether this represents an inflammatory process defined by individual or subgroups of markers is unclear. Further, relationships between peripheral inflammatory marker elevations and brain structure, cognition, and clinical features of psychosis remain unclear. We hypothesized that a pattern of plasma inflammatory markers, and an inflammatory subtype established from this pattern, would be elevated across the psychosis spectrum and associated with cognition and brain structural alterations. Clinically stable psychosis probands (Schizophrenia spectrum, n = 79; Psychotic Bipolar disorder, n = 61) and matched healthy controls (HC, n = 60) were assessed for 15 peripheral inflammatory markers, cortical thickness, subcortical volume, cognition, and symptoms. A combination of unsupervised exploratory factor analysis and hierarchical clustering was used to identify inflammation subtypes. Levels of IL6, TNFα, VEGF, and CRP were significantly higher in psychosis probands compared to HCs, and there were marker-specific differences when comparing diagnostic groups. Individual and/or inflammatory marker patterns were associated with neuroimaging, cognition, and symptom measures. A higher inflammation subgroup was defined by elevations in a group of 7 markers in 36% of Probands and 20% of HCs. Probands in the elevated inflammatory marker group performed significantly worse on cognitive measures of visuo-spatial working memory and response inhibition, displayed elevated hippocampal, amygdala, putamen and thalamus volumes, and evidence of gray matter thickening compared to the proband group with low inflammatory marker levels. These findings specify the nature of peripheral inflammatory marker alterations in psychotic disorders and establish clinical, neurocognitive and neuroanatomic associations with increased inflammatory activation in psychosis. The identification of a specific subgroup of patients with inflammatory alteration provides a potential means for targeting treatment with anti-inflammatory medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Lizano
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Olivia Lutz
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yanxun Xu
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leah H Rubin
- Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lyle Paskowitz
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adam M Lee
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Seenae Eum
- School of Pharmacy, Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia, USA
| | - Sarah K Keedy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - S Kristian Hill
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - James L Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Baolin Wu
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Carol A Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Brett A Clementz
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Elliot S Gershon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John A Sweeney
- Deptartment of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Bishop
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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6
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Calvin OL, Redish AD. Global disruption in excitation-inhibition balance can cause localized network dysfunction and Schizophrenia-like context-integration deficits. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008985. [PMID: 34033641 PMCID: PMC8184155 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor context integration, the process of incorporating both previous and current information in decision making, is a cognitive symptom of schizophrenia. The maintenance of the contextual information has been shown to be sensitive to changes in excitation-inhibition (EI) balance. Many regions of the brain are sensitive to EI imbalances, however, so it is unknown how systemic manipulations affect the specific regions that are important to context integration. We constructed a multi-structure, biophysically-realistic agent that could perform context-integration as is assessed by the dot pattern expectancy task. The agent included a perceptual network, a memory network, and a decision making system and was capable of successfully performing the dot pattern expectancy task. Systemic manipulation of the agent’s EI balance produced localized dysfunction of the memory structure, which resulted in schizophrenia-like deficits at context integration. When the agent’s pyramidal cells were less excitatory, the agent fixated upon the cue and initiated responding later than the default agent, which were like the deficits one would predict that individuals on the autistic spectrum would make. This modelling suggests that it may be possible to parse between different types of context integration deficits by adding distractors to context integration tasks and by closely examining a participant’s reaction times. Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental health disorder and its underlying etiology is currently unknown. Neural imbalances in the neural excitation and inhibition of specific regions of the brain have been hypothesized to cause symptoms of schizophrenia. Most regions of the brain have specific excitation-inhibition balances that permit their functioning in the processing of information. How systemic changes in the excitation-inhibition balance cause specific deficits and dysfunction within neural circuits is unknown. A common cognitive deficit in schizophrenia is difficulty with context integration, which is the ability to successfully use previous and current information when making decisions. We assessed how this symptom could be caused by an imbalance in neural excitation and inhibition by simulating the effects of potential imbalances in a model agent. Global imbalances in the agent’s neural excitation and inhibition led to impairment of specific circuits. These dysfunctional circuits produced behavioral deficits that were like those observed in individuals with schizophrenia. These simulations suggested how specific neural circuits may be disrupted by global changes in excitation or inhibition, ways to improve the assessment of context integration, new approaches to analyzing behavior, and why it may be beneficial to assess context integration in autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia L. Calvin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United State of America
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United State of America
| | - A. David Redish
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United State of America
- * E-mail:
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7
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Tigaret CM, Lin TCE, Morrell ER, Sykes L, Moon AL, O’Donovan MC, Owen MJ, Wilkinson LS, Jones MW, Thomas KL, Hall J. Neurotrophin receptor activation rescues cognitive and synaptic abnormalities caused by hemizygosity of the psychiatric risk gene Cacna1c. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1748-1760. [PMID: 33597718 PMCID: PMC8440217 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-01001-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variation in CACNA1C, which encodes the alpha-1 subunit of CaV1.2 L-type voltage-gated calcium channels, is strongly linked to risk for psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. To translate genetics to neurobiological mechanisms and rational therapeutic targets, we investigated the impact of mutations of one copy of Cacna1c on rat cognitive, synaptic and circuit phenotypes implicated by patient studies. We show that rats hemizygous for Cacna1c harbour marked impairments in learning to disregard non-salient stimuli, a behavioural change previously associated with psychosis. This behavioural deficit is accompanied by dys-coordinated network oscillations during learning, pathway-selective disruption of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, attenuated Ca2+ signalling in dendritic spines and decreased signalling through the Extracellular-signal Regulated Kinase (ERK) pathway. Activation of the ERK pathway by a small-molecule agonist of TrkB/TrkC neurotrophin receptors rescued both behavioural and synaptic plasticity deficits in Cacna1c+/- rats. These results map a route through which genetic variation in CACNA1C can disrupt experience-dependent synaptic signalling and circuit activity, culminating in cognitive alterations associated with psychiatric disorders. Our findings highlight targeted activation of neurotrophin signalling pathways with BDNF mimetic drugs as a genetically informed therapeutic approach for rescuing behavioural abnormalities in psychiatric disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cezar M. Tigaret
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Tzu-Ching E. Lin
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Edward R. Morrell
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK ,grid.5337.20000 0004 1936 7603School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Lucy Sykes
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK ,Present Address: Neem Biotech, Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent UK
| | - Anna L. Moon
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK ,grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical NeurosciencesSchool of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Michael C. O’Donovan
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK ,grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical NeurosciencesSchool of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Michael J. Owen
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK ,grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical NeurosciencesSchool of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lawrence S. Wilkinson
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK ,grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK ,grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical NeurosciencesSchool of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Matthew W. Jones
- grid.5337.20000 0004 1936 7603School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kerrie L. Thomas
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK ,grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. .,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical NeurosciencesSchool of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
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8
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Hudgens-Haney ME, Clementz BA, Ivleva EI, Keshavan MS, Pearlson GD, Gershon ES, Keedy SK, Sweeney JA, Gaudoux F, Bunouf P, Canolle B, Tonner F, Gatti-McArthur S, Tamminga CA. Cognitive Impairment and Diminished Neural Responses Constitute a Biomarker Signature of Negative Symptoms in Psychosis. Schizophr Bull 2020; 46:1269-1281. [PMID: 32043133 PMCID: PMC7505197 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of negative symptoms (NS) in psychosis represents an urgent unmet medical need given the significant functional impairment it contributes to psychosis syndromes. The lack of progress in treating NS is impacted by the lack of known pathophysiology or associated quantitative biomarkers, which could provide tools for research. This current analysis investigated potential associations between NS and an extensive battery of behavioral and brain-based biomarkers in 932 psychosis probands from the B-SNIP database. The current analyses examined associations between PANSS-defined NS and (1) cognition, (2) pro-/anti-saccades, (3) evoked and resting-state electroencephalography (EEG), (4) resting-state fMRI, and (5) tractography. Canonical correlation analyses yielded symptom-biomarker constructs separately for each biomarker modality. Biomarker modalities were integrated using canonical discriminant analysis to summarize the symptom-biomarker relationships into a "biomarker signature" for NS. Finally, distinct biomarker profiles for 2 NS domains ("diminished expression" vs "avolition/apathy") were computed using step-wise linear regression. NS were associated with cognitive impairment, diminished EEG response amplitudes, deviant resting-state activity, and oculomotor abnormalities. While a connection between NS and poor cognition has been established, association to neurophysiology is novel, suggesting directions for future mechanistic studies. Each biomarker modality was related to NS in distinct and complex ways, giving NS a rich, interconnected fingerprint and suggesting that any one biomarker modality may not adequately capture the full spectrum of symptomology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brett A Clementz
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Bio-Imaging Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Elena I Ivleva
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Godfrey D Pearlson
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
- Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT
| | | | - Sarah K Keedy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Carol A Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
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9
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Massa N, Owens AV, Harmon W, Bhattacharya A, Ivleva EI, Keedy S, Sweeney JA, Pearlson GD, Keshavan MS, Tamminga CA, Clementz BA, Duncan E. Relationship of prolonged acoustic startle latency to diagnosis and biotype in the bipolar-schizophrenia network on intermediate phenotypes (B-SNIP) cohort. Schizophr Res 2020; 216:357-366. [PMID: 31796306 PMCID: PMC7239737 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Latency of the acoustic startle reflex is the time from presentation of the startling stimulus until the response and provides an index of neural processing speed. Latency is prolonged in schizophrenia, is 90% heritable, and predicts conversion to schizophrenia in a high-risk population. The Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network for Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP) consortium investigates neurobiological features found in psychotic disorders spanning diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia (SCZ), schizoaffective disorder (SAD), and psychotic bipolar disorder (BP). We investigated whether differences in startle latency and prepulse inhibition (PPI) occur in probands, their first-degree relatives, and neurobiologically defined subgroups of the probands (Biotypes). METHODS 1143 subjects were included from the B-SNIP cohort: 143 with SCZ, 178 SCZ relatives (SCZ-Fam), 123 with SAD, 152 SAD relatives (SAD-Fam), 138 BP, 183 BP relatives (BP-Fam), and 226 controls (CON). A Biopac system recorded the eyeblink component of the startle reflex during startle testing. RESULTS Latency differed by diagnosis (F(3,620) = 5.10, p = 0.002): SCZ, SAD, and BP probands had slower latency than CON, with relatives intermediate. Biotypes 1 and 2 had slower latency than CON (p < 0.031) but Biotype 3 did not differ from CON. PPI did not separate CON from other subjects when analyzed by diagnoses nor when analyzed by biotype. Biotype 1 relatives had slower latency (F(3,663) = 3.49, p = 0.016) and more impaired PPI than Biotype 2 and 3 relatives (F(3,663) = 2.77, p = 0.041). CONCLUSION Startle latency is prolonged in psychotic disorders that cross traditional diagnostic categories. These data suggest a genetic difference between biotypes that span across clinically defined diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Massa
- Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033,Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Andrew V. Owens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Brett A. Clementz
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Bio-Imaging Research Center, University of Georgia
| | - Erica Duncan
- Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, GA, 30033, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
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10
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Han YL, Dai ZP, Ridwan MC, Lin PH, Zhou HL, Wang HF, Yao ZJ, Lu Q. Connectivity of the Frontal Cortical Oscillatory Dynamics Underlying Inhibitory Control During a Go/No-Go Task as a Predictive Biomarker in Major Depression. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:707. [PMID: 32848905 PMCID: PMC7416643 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by core functional deficits in cognitive inhibition, which is crucial for emotion regulation. To assess the response to ruminative and negative mood states, it was hypothesized that MDD patients have prolonged disparities in the oscillatory dynamics of the frontal cortical regions across the life course of the disease. METHOD A "go/no-go" response inhibition paradigm was tested in 31 MDD patients and 19 age-matched healthy controls after magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanning. The use of minimum norm estimates (MNE) examined the changes of inhibitory control network which included the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG), pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA), and left primary motor cortex (lM1). The power spectrum (PS) within each node and the functional connectivity (FC) between nodes were compared between two groups. Furthermore, Pearson correlation was calculated to estimate the relationship between altered FC and clinical features. RESULT PS was significantly reduced in left motor and preSMA of MDD patients in both beta (13-30 Hz) and low gamma (30-50 Hz) bands. Compared to the HC group, the MDD group demonstrated higher connectivity between lM1 and preSMA in the beta band (t = 3.214, p = 0.002, FDR corrected) and showed reduced connectivity between preSMA and rIFG in the low gamma band (t = -2.612, p = 0.012, FDR corrected). The FC between lM1 and preSMA in the beta band was positively correlated with illness duration (r = 0.475, p = 0.005, FDR corrected), while the FC between preSMA and rIFG in the low gamma band was negatively correlated with illness duration (r = -0.509, p = 0.002, FDR corrected) and retardation factor scores (r = -0.288, p = 0.022, uncorrected). CONCLUSION In this study, a clinical neurophysiological signature of cognitive inhibition leading to sustained negative affect as well as functional non-recovery in MDD patients is highlighted. Duration of illness (DI) plays a key role in negative emotional processing, heighten rumination, impulsivity, and disinhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Lin Han
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhong-Peng Dai
- School of Biological Sciences & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mohammad Chattun Ridwan
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pin-Hua Lin
- Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Hong-Liang Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hao-Fei Wang
- Department of Psychology, Jiangsu Province Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Zhi-Jian Yao
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,School of Biological Sciences & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Qing Lu
- School of Biological Sciences & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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11
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Sheffield JM, Karcher NR, Barch DM. Cognitive Deficits in Psychotic Disorders: A Lifespan Perspective. Neuropsychol Rev 2018; 28:509-533. [PMID: 30343458 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-018-9388-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with disorders that include psychotic symptoms (i.e. psychotic disorders) experience broad cognitive impairments in the chronic state, indicating a dimension of abnormality associated with the experience of psychosis. These impairments negatively impact functional outcome, contributing to the disabling nature of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and psychotic depression. The robust and reliable nature of cognitive deficits has led researchers to explore the timing and profile of impairments, as this may elucidate different neurodevelopmental patterns in individuals who experience psychosis. Here, we review the literature on cognitive deficits across the life span of individuals with psychotic disorder and psychotic-like experiences, highlighting the dimensional nature of both psychosis and cognitive ability. We identify premorbid generalized cognitive impairment in schizophrenia that worsens throughout development, and stabilizes by the first-episode of psychosis, suggesting a neurodevelopmental course. Research in affective psychosis is less clear, with mixed evidence regarding premorbid deficits, but a fairly reliable generalized deficit at first-episode, which appears to worsen into the chronic state. In general, cognitive impairments are most severe in schizophrenia, intermediate in bipolar disorder, and the least severe in psychotic depression. In all groups, cognitive deficits are associated with poorer functional outcome. Finally, while the generalized deficit is the clearest and most reliable signal, data suggests specific deficits in verbal memory across all groups, specific processing speed impairments in schizophrenia and executive functioning impairments in bipolar disorder. Cognitive deficits are a core feature of psychotic disorders that provide a window into understanding developmental course and risk for psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Sheffield
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1601 23rd Ave S, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA.
| | - Nicole R Karcher
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University St. Louis, 1 Brookings Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University St. Louis, 1 Brookings Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.,Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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12
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Gold JM, Robinson B, Leonard CJ, Hahn B, Chen S, McMahon RP, Luck SJ. Selective Attention, Working Memory, and Executive Function as Potential Independent Sources of Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2018; 44:1227-1234. [PMID: 29140504 PMCID: PMC6192492 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbx155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
People with schizophrenia demonstrate impairments in selective attention, working memory, and executive function. Given the overlap in these constructs, it is unclear if these represent distinct impairments or different manifestations of one higher-order impairment. To examine this question, we administered tasks from the basic cognitive neuroscience literature to measure visual selective attention, working memory capacity, and executive function in 126 people with schizophrenia and 122 healthy volunteers. Patients demonstrated deficits on all tasks with the exception of selective attention guided by strong bottom-up inputs. Although the measures of top-down control of selective attention, working memory, and executive function were all intercorrelated, several sources of evidence indicate that working memory and executive function are separate sources of variance. Specifically, both working memory and executive function independently contributed to the discrimination of group status and independently accounted for variance in overall general cognitive ability as assessed by the MATRICS battery. These two cognitive functions appear to be separable features of the cognitive impairments observed in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Gold
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Deparment of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: 410-402-7871, fax: 410-402-7198, e-mail:
| | - Benjamin Robinson
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Deparment of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | | | - Britta Hahn
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Deparment of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Shuo Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Deparment of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Robert P McMahon
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Deparment of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Steven J Luck
- Center for Mind and Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
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13
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Smucny J, Lesh TA, Iosif AM, Niendam TA, Tully LM, Carter CS. Longitudinal stability of cognitive control in early psychosis: Nondegenerative deficits across diagnoses. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 127:781-788. [PMID: 29781657 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment, particularly in the domain of cognitive control, is characteristic of schizophrenia (SZ) spectrum and bipolar disorders (BDs). The longitudinal trajectory of these impairments, however, remains unclear. Indeed, some studies have observed degeneration and others stability or even improvement over time in these illnesses. Here we examined the longitudinal stability of the AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT), a cognitive control task, in 52 patients with recent-onset SZ (<2 years from first study measurement), 20 patients with recent-onset BD Type I with psychotic features, and 70 healthy control subjects. Subjects performed the AX-CPT at 2 time points separated by an average of 365 days (range 270-620). Previously identified deficits in cognitive control were replicated in both patient groups. No effects of time or interactions between time and diagnosis were observed. Intraclass correlation coefficients also suggested AX-CPT performance was stable across time for all diagnostic groups. Although performance was stable on average, a positive association was noted between change in cognitive control and change in disorganization symptom severity across patient groups. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that deficits in cognitive control are present in both disorders and stable over the early course of psychotic illness. No evidence was observed for progression or deterioration of cognitive control or differential recovery in SZ compared to BD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Smucny
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
| | - Tyler A Lesh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis
| | - Tara A Niendam
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
| | - Laura M Tully
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
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14
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Rodrigue AL, McDowell JE, Tandon N, Keshavan MS, Tamminga CA, Pearlson GD, Sweeney JA, Gibbons RD, Clementz BA. Multivariate Relationships Between Cognition and Brain Anatomy Across the Psychosis Spectrum. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 3:992-1002. [PMID: 29759822 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive and structural brain abnormalities range from mild to severe in psychosis. The relationships of specific cognitive functions to specific brain structures across the psychosis spectrum is less certain. METHODS Participants (n = 678) with bipolar, schizoaffective, or schizophrenia psychoses and healthy control subjects were recruited via the Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network for Intermediate Phenotypes. The Schizo-Bipolar Scale was used to create a psychosis continuum (from purely affective to purely nonaffective). Canonical correlation between 14 cognitive measures and structural brain measures (gray matter volume, cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and local gyrification indices) for 68 neocortical regions yielded constructs that defined shared cognition-brain structure relationships. Canonical discriminant analysis was used to integrate these constructs and efficiently summarize cognition-brain structure relationships across the psychosis continuum. RESULTS General cognition was associated with larger gray matter volumes and thicker cortices but smaller cortical surface area in frontoparietal regions. Working memory was associated with larger volume and surface area in frontotemporal regions. Faster response speed was associated with thicker frontal cortices. Constructs that captured general cognitive ability and working memory and their relationship to cortical volumes primarily defined an ordered psychosis spectrum (purely affective, least abnormal through purely nonaffective, and most abnormal). A construct that captured general cognitive ability and its relationship to cortical surface area differentiated purely affective cases from other groups. CONCLUSIONS General cognition and working memory with cortical volume deviations characterized more nonaffective psychoses. Alternatively, affective psychosis cases with general cognitive deficits had deviations in cortical surface area, perhaps accounting for heterogeneous findings across previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Rodrigue
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Bio-Imaging Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Jennifer E McDowell
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Bio-Imaging Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Neeraj Tandon
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carol A Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Godfrey D Pearlson
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Robert D Gibbons
- Department of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Brett A Clementz
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Bio-Imaging Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
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15
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Deficits in visual working-memory capacity and general cognition in African Americans with psychosis. Schizophr Res 2018; 193:100-106. [PMID: 28843437 PMCID: PMC5825248 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
On average, patients with psychosis perform worse than controls on visual change-detection tasks, implying that psychosis is associated with reduced capacity of visual working memory (WM). In the present study, 79 patients diagnosed with various psychotic disorders and 166 controls, all African Americans, completed a change-detection task and several other neurocognitive measures. The aims of the study were to (1) determine whether we could observe a between-group difference in performance on the change-detection task in this sample; (2) establish whether such a difference could be specifically attributed to reduced WM capacity (k); and (3) estimate k in the context of the general cognitive deficit in psychosis. Consistent with previous studies, patients performed worse than controls on the change-detection task, on average. Bayesian hierarchical cognitive modeling of the data suggested that this between-group difference was driven by reduced k in patients, rather than differences in other psychologically meaningful model parameters (guessing behavior and lapse rate). Using the same modeling framework, we estimated the effect of psychosis on k while controlling for general intellectual ability (g, obtained from the other neurocognitive measures). The results suggested that reduced k in patients was stronger than predicted by the between-group difference in g. Moreover, a mediation analysis suggested that the relationship between psychosis and g (i.e., the general cognitive deficit) was mediated by k. The results were consistent with the idea that reduced k is a specific deficit in psychosis, which contributes to the general cognitive deficit.
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16
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Smucny J, Lesh TA, Newton K, Niendam TA, Ragland JD, Carter CS. Levels of Cognitive Control: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Test of an RDoC Domain Across Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:598-606. [PMID: 28948978 PMCID: PMC5770769 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the boundaries of psychopathology as defined by diagnostic categories have been criticized as inadequately 'carving nature at its joints' with respect to the neurobiology of major mental disorders. In 2010 the NIMH launched the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework for understanding mental illnesses as brain circuit disorders that extend beyond DSM-defined diagnoses. In the present study we focus on cognitive dysfunction, a core feature of schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD), and use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a cognitive control (CC) task in recent onset patients to test the hypothesis that at a behavioral and underlying neural circuitry level these deficits exist on a continuum (as opposed to showing categorical differences) across the two disorders. In total, 53 healthy controls, 24 recent (<1 y) onset patients with BPD Type I with psychotic features, and 70 recent onset patients with SZ performed the AX-Continuous Performance Task while undergoing event-related fMRI at 1.5 T. In addition to behavior task-associated response was examined in frontoparietal regions-of-interest. In an a priori contrast-based analysis, significant deficits across patient groups (vs controls) were observed on CC-associated performance as well as frontoparietal response. These analyses further revealed a continuum of deficits in which BPD showed intermediate levels of CC relative to controls and SZ. Poor CC was associated with poverty and disorganization symptoms across patient groups. These results support the hypothesis that CC dysfunction in BPD and SZ reflects a continuum of deficits that cuts across traditional, DSM-based classification. Implications for the neurobiology of these diseases are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Smucny
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Tyler A Lesh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Keith Newton
- College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tara A Niendam
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - J Daniel Ragland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
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17
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Herold R, Varga E, Hajnal A, Hamvas E, Berecz H, Tóth B, Tényi T. Altered Neural Activity during Irony Comprehension in Unaffected First-Degree Relatives of Schizophrenia Patients-An fMRI Study. Front Psychol 2018; 8:2309. [PMID: 29375430 PMCID: PMC5767266 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Irony is a type of figurative language in which the literal meaning of the expression is the opposite of what the speaker intends to communicate. Even though schizophrenic patients are known as typically impaired in irony comprehension and in the underlying neural functions, to date no one has explored the neural correlates of figurative language comprehension in first-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients. In the present study, we examined the neural correlates of irony understanding in schizophrenic patients and in unaffected first-degree relatives of patients compared to healthy adults with functional MRI. Our aim was to investigate if possible alterations of the neural circuits supporting irony comprehension in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia would fulfill the familiality criterion of an endophenotype. We examined 12 schizophrenic patients, 12 first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients and 12 healthy controls with functional MRI while they were performing irony and control tasks. Different phases of irony processing were examined, such as context processing and ironic statement comprehension. Patients had significantly more difficulty understanding irony than controls or relatives. Patients also showed markedly different neural activation pattern compared to controls in both stages of irony processing. Although no significant differences were found in the performance of the irony tasks between the control group and the relative group, during the fMRI analysis, the relatives showed stronger brain activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the context processing phase of irony tasks than the control group. However, the controls demonstrated higher activations in the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and in the right inferior frontal gyrus during the ironic statement phase of the irony tasks than the relative group. Our results show that despite good task performance, first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients had alterations in the neural circuits during irony processing. Thus, we suggest that neural alteration of irony comprehension could be a potential endophenotypic marker of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Róbert Herold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Eszter Varga
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - András Hajnal
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Edina Hamvas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Hajnalka Berecz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Borbála Tóth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Tényi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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18
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Mathias SR, Knowles EEM, Barrett J, Leach O, Buccheri S, Beetham T, Blangero J, Poldrack RA, Glahn DC. The Processing-Speed Impairment in Psychosis Is More Than Just Accelerated Aging. Schizophr Bull 2017; 43:814-823. [PMID: 28062652 PMCID: PMC5472152 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbw168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Processing speed is impaired in patients with psychosis, and deteriorates as a function of normal aging. These observations, in combination with other lines of research, suggest that psychosis may be a syndrome of accelerated aging. But do patients with psychosis perform poorly on tasks of processing speed for the same reasons as older adults? Fifty-one patients with psychotic illnesses and 90 controls with similar mean IQ (aged 19-69 years, all African American) completed a computerized processing-speed task, reminiscent of the classic digit-symbol coding task. The data were analyzed using the drift-diffusion model (DDM), and Bayesian inference was used to determine whether psychosis and aging had similar or divergent effects on the DDM parameters. Psychosis and aging were both associated with poor performance, but had divergent effects on the DDM parameters. Patients had lower information-processing efficiency ("drift rate") and longer nondecision time than controls, and psychosis per se did not influence response caution. By contrast, the primary effect of aging was to increase response caution, and had inconsistent effects on drift rate and nondecision time across patients and controls. The results reveal that psychosis and aging influenced performance in different ways, suggesting that the processing-speed impairment in psychosis is more than just accelerated aging. This study also demonstrates the potential utility of computational models and Bayesian inference for finely mapping the contributions of cognitive functions on simple neurocognitive tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel R. Mathias
- Neurocognition, Neurocomputation and Neurogenetics (n3) Division, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 40 Temple Street, Room 694, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Emma E. M. Knowles
- Neurocognition, Neurocomputation and Neurogenetics (n3) Division, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 40 Temple Street, Room 694, New Haven, CT 06511;,Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT
| | - Jennifer Barrett
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT
| | - Olivia Leach
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT
| | | | - Tamara Beetham
- Neurocognition, Neurocomputation and Neurogenetics (n3) Division, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 40 Temple Street, Room 694, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - John Blangero
- South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX
| | | | - David. C. Glahn
- Neurocognition, Neurocomputation and Neurogenetics (n3) Division, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 40 Temple Street, Room 694, New Haven, CT 06511;,Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT
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