Faster bi-stable visual switching in psychosis
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Bi-stable stimuli evoke two distinct perceptual interpretations that alternate and compete for dominance. Bi-stable perception is thought to be driven at least in part by mutual suppression between distinct neural populations that represent each percept. Abnormal visual perception is observed among people with psychotic psychopathology (PwPP), and there is evidence to suggest that these visual deficits may depend on impaired neural suppression in visual cortex. However, it is not yet clear whether bi-stable visual perception is abnormal among PwPP. Here, we examined bi-stable perception in a visual structure-from-motion task using a rotating cylinder illusion in a group of 65 PwPP, 44 first-degree biological relatives, and 43 healthy controls. Data from a 'real switch' task, in which physical depth cues signaled real switches in rotation direction were used to exclude individuals who did not show adequate task performance. In addition, we measured concentrations of neurochemicals, including glutamate, glutamine, and γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), involved in excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. These neurochemicals were measured non-invasively in visual cortex using 7 tesla MR spectroscopy. We found that PwPP and their relatives showed faster bi-stable switch rates than healthy controls. Faster switch rates also correlated with significantly higher psychiatric symptom levels across all participants. However, we did not observe any significant relationships across individuals between neurochemical concentrations and SFM switch rates. Our results are consistent with a reduction in suppressive neural processes during structure-from-motion perception in PwPP, and suggest that genetic liability for psychosis is associated with disrupted bi-stable perception.
Source: Translational Psychiatry
Institutions: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,990
Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, University of Minnesota, National Institutes of Health, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Awards: G1359848195, G149204682, G1698840832, G2340896798, G235943272, Neural Disconnection and Errant Visual Perception in Psychotic Psychopathology, G4576439582, G5118616669, NMR Imaging and Spectroscopy, G7133958591, G9000014136, G9000035861, G9000076473, G9000147293, G9000345003, G9000351955, Comorbidity: Substance Use Disorders and Other Psychiatric Conditions
OpenAlex ID: W4396696019