Reduced specialized processing in psychotic disorder: a graph theoretical analysis of cerebral functional connectivity.
Previous research has shown that the human brain can be represented as a complex functional network that is characterized by specific topological properties, such as clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, and global/local efficiency. Patients with psychotic disorder may have alterations in these properties with respect to controls, indicating altered efficiency of network organization. This study examined graph theoretical changes in relation to differential genetic risk for the disorder and aimed to identify clinical correlates.



Anatomical and resting-state MRI brain scans were obtained from 73 patients with psychotic disorder, 83 unaffected siblings, and 72 controls. Topological measures (i.e., clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, and small-worldness) were used as dependent variables in a multilevel random regression analysis to investigate group differences. In addition, associations with (subclinical) psychotic/cognitive symptoms were examined.



Patients had a significantly lower clustering coefficient compared to siblings and controls, with no difference between the latter groups. No group differences were observed for characteristic path length and small-worldness. None of the topological properties were associated with (sub)clinical psychotic and cognitive symptoms.



The reduced ability for specialized processing (reflected by a lower clustering coefficient) within highly interconnected brain regions observed in the patient group may indicate state-related network alterations. There was no evidence for an intermediate phenotype and no evidence for psychopathology-related alterations.
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences Open University of the Netherlands Heerlen The Netherlands.
Sanne C T
SC
Peeters
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands.
Ed H B M
EH
Gronenschild
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands.
Therese
T
van Amelsvoort
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands; Department of Psychosis Studies Institute of Psychiatry King's Health Partners King's College London London UK.
Jim
J
van Os
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands; Institute for Mental Health Care Eindhoven (GGzE) Eindhoven The Netherlands.
Machteld
M
Marcelis
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands.
Rene
R
Kahn
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands.
Durk
D
Wiersma
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands.
Richard
R
Bruggeman
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands.
Wiepke
W
Cahn
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands.
Lieuwe
L
de Haan
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands.
Carin
C
Meijer
Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology School for Mental Health and Neuroscience EURON Maastricht University Medical Center PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands.
Inez
I
Myin-Germeys
Brain connectomics; functional magnetic resonance imaging; graph theory; psychotic disorders; siblings
Schizophr Res. 2004 Jun 1;68(2-3):271-81
15099609
PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e25423
21980454
Neuroimage. 2011 Feb 1;54(3):1862-71
20650319
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Jul 21;112(29):9123-8
26150519
Trends Cogn Sci. 2004 Sep;8(9):418-25
15350243
Biol Psychiatry. 2010 Feb 1;67(3):255-62
19897178
Brain Behav. 2016 Jun 29;6(9):e00508
27688938
Neuroimage. 2012 Sep;62(3):1694-704
22634855
PLoS One. 2011 Jan 26;6(1):e16560
21298074
Neuroimage. 2014 Jul 15;95:287-304
24657353
Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Mar 1;69(5):487-94
20951979
J Neurosci. 2010 Jul 14;30(28):9477-87
20631176
Clin Neurosci. 1995;3(2):89-97
7583624
Nature. 1998 Jun 4;393(6684):440-2
9623998
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1992 Aug;49(8):615-23
1637251
Neuropsychologia. 2010 Apr;48(5):1209-15
20026084
Schizophr Res. 2008 Feb;99(1-3):103-10
17936589
Neuroimage. 2010 Aug 15;52(2):429-35
20417713
PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e32766
22412922
Neuroscientist. 2006 Dec;12(6):512-23
17079517
J Neurosci. 2013 Feb 13;33(7):2889-99
23407947
Curr Top Med Chem. 2012;12(21):2404-14
23279179
J Neurosci. 2011 Mar 2;31(9):3261-70
21368038
Neuroimage Clin. 2015 Oct 09;9:607-16
26740914
Neuroimage. 2002 Jan;15(1):273-89
11771995
Hum Brain Mapp. 2009 Feb;30(2):403-16
18072237
Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2012;8:49-76
22224834
Front Syst Neurosci. 2010 Jun 17;4:22
20592949
Nat Rev Neurosci. 2009 Mar;10(3):186-98
19190637
J Appl Math. 2013 May 21;2013:
24415902
Biol Psychiatry. 2011 May 15;69(10):967-73
21193174
PLoS Comput Biol. 2005 Sep;1(4):e42
16201007
Schizophr Bull. 1987;13(2):261-76
3616518
Cereb Cortex. 2013 Jan;23(1):127-38
22275481
Schizophr Res. 1997 Dec 19;28(2-3):143-56
9468349
PLoS One. 2011;6(10):e26596
22028917
Schizophr Bull. 2008 May;34(3):408-11
18375928
Biol Psychiatry. 2006 May 15;59(10):929-39
16427028
Front Syst Neurosci. 2010 Oct 08;4:147
21031030
Schizophr Bull. 2000;26(3):619-29
10993402
Schizophr Bull. 1984;10(2):160-203
6729409
Neuroimage. 2012 Oct 1;62(4):2296-314
22387165
Neuroimage. 2012 Jan 16;59(2):1085-93
21963918
Psychiatry Res. 2008 Apr 15;162(3):205-13
18280711
Neuroimage. 2010 Sep;52(3):1059-69
19819337
Schizophr Res. 2013 Aug;148(1-3):50-8
23726722
World J Psychiatry. 2012 Feb 22;2(1):1-12
24175163
BMJ. 1991 May 18;302(6786):1182
2043814
J Neurosci. 2006 Jan 4;26(1):63-72
16399673
Schizophr Res. 2010 Mar;117(1):21-30
20097544
PLoS One. 2010 May 25;5(5):e10815
20520835
Proc Biol Sci. 2006 Feb 22;273(1585):503-11
16615219
PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e59331
23527165
JAMA Psychiatry. 2013 Nov;70(11):1143-51
24005188
PLoS Comput Biol. 2007 Feb 2;3(2):e17
17274684
Brain. 2008 Apr;131(Pt 4):945-61
18299296
Schizophr Res. 1998 Mar 10;30(2):115-25
9549774
Biol Psychiatry. 2013 Sep 15;74(6):458-66
23746539
Phys Rev Lett. 2001 Nov 5;87(19):198701
11690461
Br J Psychol. 1970 Aug;61(3):303-21
5457503
Schizophr Res. 2006 Jul;85(1-3):280-7
16730429