TY - JOUR
T1 - Mentalizing in male schizophrenia patients is compromised by virtue of dysfunctional connectivity between task-positive and task-negative networks
AU - Das, Pritha
AU - Calhoun, Vince
AU - Malhi, Gin S.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for this study was provided by NHMRC Program Grant 510135.
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - Schizophrenia can be conceptualized as a disorder of functional connectivity within the fronto-temporal (FT) and/or default-mode (DM) networks. Recent evidence suggests that dysfunctional integration between these large neural networks may also contribute to the illness, and that the ability to . mentalize or have a . Theory of Mind (ToM) is discernibly impaired in patients with schizophrenia. Hence in this study, we examined whether impaired functional network connectivity (FNC) contributes to a compromise in the ability to mentalize in patients with schizophrenia. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 20 male schizophrenia patients and 19 matched healthy controls while performing a well-known ToM task. The study revealed that relative to non-ToM the engagement of ToM produced reduced neural activity in the lateral FT and insula networks in patients, as compared to healthy subjects. The findings also indicated that in comparison to healthy subjects the DM and medial FT networks are . less suppressed in patients irrespective of the task (ToM/non-ToM). Further, FNC analyses showed that the degree of functional connectivity between task-positive (lateral FT and insula) and task-negative (medial FT, posterior DM) networks was significantly . reduced in patients as compared to controls. Of note, a significant correlation between the functional connectivity strength of the lateral FT network with the medial FT and the degree to which this is modulated by the ToM task, suggests that mentalizing deficits in male schizophrenia patients may stem from impaired communication between neural networks that comprehend the mental states of self (medial FT) and others (lateral FT).
AB - Schizophrenia can be conceptualized as a disorder of functional connectivity within the fronto-temporal (FT) and/or default-mode (DM) networks. Recent evidence suggests that dysfunctional integration between these large neural networks may also contribute to the illness, and that the ability to . mentalize or have a . Theory of Mind (ToM) is discernibly impaired in patients with schizophrenia. Hence in this study, we examined whether impaired functional network connectivity (FNC) contributes to a compromise in the ability to mentalize in patients with schizophrenia. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 20 male schizophrenia patients and 19 matched healthy controls while performing a well-known ToM task. The study revealed that relative to non-ToM the engagement of ToM produced reduced neural activity in the lateral FT and insula networks in patients, as compared to healthy subjects. The findings also indicated that in comparison to healthy subjects the DM and medial FT networks are . less suppressed in patients irrespective of the task (ToM/non-ToM). Further, FNC analyses showed that the degree of functional connectivity between task-positive (lateral FT and insula) and task-negative (medial FT, posterior DM) networks was significantly . reduced in patients as compared to controls. Of note, a significant correlation between the functional connectivity strength of the lateral FT network with the medial FT and the degree to which this is modulated by the ToM task, suggests that mentalizing deficits in male schizophrenia patients may stem from impaired communication between neural networks that comprehend the mental states of self (medial FT) and others (lateral FT).
KW - FMRI
KW - FNC
KW - Functional network connectivity
KW - ICA
KW - Independent component analysis
KW - Schizophrenia
KW - Theory of Mind
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84865340437&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84865340437&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2012.06.023
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2012.06.023
M3 - Article
C2 - 22795367
AN - SCOPUS:84865340437
SN - 0920-9964
VL - 140
SP - 51
EP - 58
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
IS - 1-3
ER -