Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-xfwgj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-26T00:46:29.692Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The different effect of adverse childhood experiences on Theory of Mind brain networks in schizophrenia and healthy controls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

A. Pelucchi*
Affiliation:
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele
F. Calesella
Affiliation:
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele University Vita-Salute San Raffaele
M. Bechi
Affiliation:
University Vita-Salute San Raffaele Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Hospital, Milano, Italy
R. Cavallaro
Affiliation:
University Vita-Salute San Raffaele Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Hospital, Milano, Italy
S. Poletti
Affiliation:
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele University Vita-Salute San Raffaele
B. Vai
Affiliation:
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele University Vita-Salute San Raffaele
F. Benedetti
Affiliation:
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele University Vita-Salute San Raffaele
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

Deficit in Theory of Mind (ToM) is a core feature of schizophrenia (SZ), while adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can contribute to worsen ToM abilities through their effect on brain functioning, structure and connectivity.

Objectives

Here, we investigated the effects of ACEs on brain functional connectivity (FC) during an affective and cognitive ToM task (AToM, CToM) in healthy control (HC) and SZ, and whether FC can predict the performance at the ToM task and patients’ symptoms severity.

Methods

The sample included 26 HC and 33 SZ. In an fMRI session, participants performed a ToM task targeting affective and cognitive domains. Whole-brain FC patterns of local correlation (LC) and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) were extracted. The significant MVPA clusters were used as seeds in further seed-based connectivity analyses. Second-level analyses were modelled to investigate the interaction between ACEs, the diagnosis, and the task, corrected for age, sex, and equivalent doses of chlorpromazine (p<0.05 FWE). FC values significantly affected by ACEs (Risky Family Questionnaire) were entered in a cross-validated LASSO regression predicting symptoms severity (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS) and task performance measures (accuracy and response time).

Results

In AToM, LC showed significant different effects of ACE between HC and SZ in frontal pole, caudate and cerebellum. MVPA showed significant widespread interaction in cortico-limbic regions, including prefrontal cortex, precuneus, insula, parahippocampus, cingulate cortex, temporal pole, thalamus, and cerebellum in AToM and CToM. SBC analyses found significant target regions in the frontal pole, cerebellum, pre and postcentral gyrus, precuneus, lateral occipital cortex, angular gyrus, and paracingulate gyrus. LASSO regression predicted PANSS score (R2=0.49) and AToM response latency time (R2=0.37).

Conclusions

Our findings highlighted a widespread different effect of ACEs on brain FC in ToM networks in HC and SZ. Notably, the FC in these regions is predictive of behavioral ToM performance and clinical outcomes.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.