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Default mode network alterations underlie auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia.

Marco Marino, C. Spironelli, Dante Mantini, A. Craven, Lars Ersland, A. Angrilli, Kenneth Hugdahl

Journal of Psychiatric Research August 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.08.006 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case-control neuroimaging study Pilot study Peer reviewed
Sample size 51
Population Schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations, schizophrenia patients without hallucinations, and age-matched healthy controls
Measures PANSS-P1, PANSS-P3, normalized fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations (fALFF)
Topics Default mode network
Key findings The left Angular Gyrus node of the default mode network showed altered spatial and spectral activity in schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations compared with patients without hallucinations and healthy controls, with correlations between hallucination severity and slow-frequency fluctuations in this region. The authors propose a central role for the left Angular Gyrus in hallucinations.

Abstract

Although alterations of the default mode network (DMN) in schizophrenia (SZ) have been largely investigated, less research has been carried out on DMN alterations in different sub-phenotypes of this disorder. The aim of this pilot study was to compare DMN features among SZ patients with and without auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). Three groups of 17 participants each were considered: patients with hallucinations (AVH-SZ), patients without hallucinations (nAVH-SZ) and age-matched healthy controls (HC). The DMN spatial pattern was similar between the nAVH-SZ and HC, but the comparison between these two groups and the AVH-SZ group revealed alterations in the left Angular Gyrus (lAG) node of the DMN. Using a novel approach based on normalized fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations (fALFF), the AVH-SZ subgroup showed altered spectral activity in the DMN compared with the other two groups, especially in the lower-frequency bands (0.017-0.04 Hz). Significant positive correlations were found for both SZ groups collapsed, and for the nAVH-SZ group alone between delusional scores (PANSS-P1) and slow fALFF bands of the DMN. Narrowing the analysis to the ROI centered on the lAG, significant correlations were found in the AVH-SZ group for hallucination scores (PANSS-P3) and Slow-5 and Slow-4 (both positive), and Slow-3 (negative) fALFF bands. Our results reveal the central role of the lAG in relation to hallucinations, an important cortical area connecting auditory cortex with several hubs (including frontal linguistic centers) and involved in auditory process monitoring.

Comparable studies

Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects 2008 Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis
Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects 2009 Experimental study using fMRI
Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects 2016 Experimental study
Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants 2013 Experimental study
The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers 2012 Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis

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