Deviant Synchronization of Neural Functions in Schizophrenia

基础研究表明，同步神经振荡的功能意义取决于 他们的频率。高于30赫兹的伽马频率似乎促进了传输信号的前馈过程 从感觉皮质到高级皮质区域的基本信息。低于30赫兹的频率振荡似乎 反映来自高级皮质区域的反馈信息的传输，该反馈信息改变 感觉皮质，并确定与行为目标相关的元素的优先顺序。尽管精神分裂症已经 研究人员认为，这是一种大脑区域内和大脑区域之间神经同步性紊乱的疾病 才刚刚开始检查前馈和反馈异常，反映在 脑电(EEG)振荡。拟议中的工作解决了尚未回答的研究问题 精神分裂症患者普遍存在的知觉和认知缺陷是否是由于神经异常所致 破坏大脑网络中的前馈和反馈过程的同步。 这项拟议的工作将检查精神分裂症患者在低频率和 静息状态和视觉感知过程中的伽马波段。通过使用视觉感知任务 在前馈和反馈过程的需求不同时，我们将测试特定同步 异常与非典型视知觉的感觉和认知因素有关 精神分裂症。研究对象将包括精神分裂症患者(PSZ)、PSZ的亲生兄弟姐妹(SibPSZ)、 双相情感障碍患者(PBP)、PBP的亲生兄弟姐妹(SibPBP)和健康对照样本(HC) 确定异常振荡是否是精神分裂症特有的，并与其遗传易感性有关。 我们将进行一系列的三个实验，目的是将异常同步与 精神分裂症的具体诊断或疾病的遗传易感性。首先，我们将确定是否 静息状态振荡的异常同步存在于我们的样本中，以及它是如何分离的 诊断组。其次，我们将使用心理物理任务来针对低水平的视觉过程进行调查 神经振荡的异常同步性是否提供了前馈受损或 视觉皮质内的反馈过程。第三，我们将使用形式知觉任务来确定是否偏离 皮质高位区域和视觉皮质之间的同步反映了区域间前馈或 反馈过程。 能够有效指导治疗并用于个性化干预的实验室测试由来已久 被追捧以改变严重精神障碍的治疗方法。了解神经细胞的起源 精神分裂症患者的认知和知觉障碍将促进新的干预措施(例如，神经调节) 更准确有效地针对每个人的大脑功能异常，并优化恢复 患有精神病的退伍军人。

Basic research suggests that the functional significance of synchronized neural oscillations depends on their frequency. Gamma frequencies, above 30 Hz, appear to facilitate feedforward processes that transmit basic information from sensory cortex to higher cortical regions. Frequency oscillations below 30 Hz appear to reflect the transmission of feedback information from higher cortical regions that modifies functions within sensory cortices and prioritizes elements related to behavioral goals. Although schizophrenia has been proposed to be a disorder of disturbed neural synchronization within and between brain regions, researchers have only begun to examine feedforward and feedback abnormalities reflected in the phase dynamics of electroencephalography (EEG) oscillations. The unanswered research question the proposed work addresses is whether perceptual and cognitive deficits pervasive in schizophrenia are due to deviant neural synchronization that disrupts feedforward and feedback processes within networks of the brain. The proposed work will examine aberrant neural synchronization in schizophrenia within low frequency and gamma bands during a resting state and visual perception. Through the use of visual perceptual tasks that vary in demands of feedforward and feedback processes we will test whether specific synchronization abnormalities are associated with sensory and cognitive elements of atypical visual perception in schizophrenia. Subjects will include people with schizophrenia (PSZ), biological siblings of PSZ (SibPSZ), people with bipolar disorder (PBP), biological siblings of PBP (SibPBP), and a healthy control sample (HC) to determine whether deviant oscillations are specific to schizophrenia and associated with its genetic liability. We will engage in a series of three experiments with the intention of relating deviant synchronization to a specific diagnosis of schizophrenia or to genetic liability for the disease. First, we will determine whether aberrant synchronization of resting state oscillations is present in our sample and how it segregates across diagnostic groups. Second, we will use psychophysical tasks to target low-level visual processes to investigate whether abnormal synchronization of neural oscillations provides evidence for impaired feedforward or feedback processes within visual cortex. Third, we will use form perception tasks to determine whether deviant synchronization between high cortical regions and visual cortex reflect impaired inter-areal feedforward or feedback processes. Laboratory tests that can effectively guide treatment and be used to personalize interventions have long been sought after to transform the treatment of severe mental disorders. Understanding the neural origins of cognitive and perceptual disturbances in schizophrenia will facilitate new interventions (e.g., neural modulation) to more precisely and effectively target each individual's abnormal brain function and to optimize the recovery of veterans with psychotic disorders.