Is the Sense of Agency in Schizophrenia Influenced by Resting-State Variation in Self-Referential Regions of the Brain?
Jeffrey D. Robinson, Nils-Frederic Wagner, Georg Northoff
Schizophrenia Bulletin July 28, 2015 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbv102 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Misattribution of memory Conceptualization Agency philosophy Sense of agency Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Neuroimaging Cognitive psychology Psychosis Resting State FMRI Relevance law Psychology of self Cognition |
| Citations | 47 |
| Key findings | Aberrant resting-state activity in the default mode network may cause misattribution of agency in schizophrenia, leading to symptoms like thought insertion and delusions of control. |
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a disturbance of the self, of which the attribution of agency is a major component. In this article, we review current theories of the Sense of Agency, their relevance to schizophrenia, and propose a novel framework for future research. We explore some of the models of agency, in which both bottom-up and top-down processes are implicated in the genesis of agency. We further this line of inquiry by suggesting that ongoing neurological activity (the brain's resting state) in self-referential regions of the brain can provide a deeper level of influence beyond what the current models capture. Based on neuroimaging studies, we suggest that aberrant activity in regions such as the default mode network of individuals with schizophrenia can lead to a misattribution of internally/externally generated stimuli. This can result in symptoms such as thought insertion and delusions of control. Consequently, neuroimaging can contribute to a more comprehensive conceptualization and measurement of agency and potential treatment implications.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Brain's Default Mode Network | 2015 | Review | |
| Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology | 2012 | Review | |
| 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis | 2023 | Review | |
| On the relationship between the “default mode network” and the “social brain” | 2012 | Review | |
| The default mode network and social understanding of others: what do brain connectivity studies tell us Healthy subjects, with some studies on patients with autism and psychopathy | 2014 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Triple Network Model Dynamically Revisited: Lower Salience Network State Switching in Pre-psychosis Frontiers in Physiology February 11, 2020
- Altered Neural Correlate of the Self-Agency Experience in First-Episode Schizophrenia-Spectrum Patients: An fMRI Study Schizophrenia Bulletin December 18, 2015
- Transdiagnostic conceptualization of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. An integrative framework of minimal self disturbance
- Theories of consciousness and psychiatric disorders – A comparative analysis Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews April 29, 2023
- Event-related potential correlates of consciousness in simple auditory hallucinations. Neuroimage April 15, 2025
and 3 more in the library
Cites 10
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Two Distinct Neuronal Networks Mediate the Awareness of Environment and of Self Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience June 1, 2010
- The structural–functional connectome and the default mode network of the human brain Neuroimage October 4, 2013
- Are Auditory Hallucinations Related to the Brain's Resting State Activity? A 'Neurophenomenal Resting State Hypothesis' Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience December 26, 2014
and 5 more in the library