Interoception Disorder and Insular Cortex Abnormalities in Schizophrenia: A New Perspective Between Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience

Magistretti, Pierre J.; Ansermet, François

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.628355

Cited by 10 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 50 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In their review, Wylie and Tregellas [ 127 ] discuss the hypothesis that deficits in recognizing emotions in faces, in pain perception, and in the attribution of sensory percepts are related to dysfunctions in the insula in SZP. Recently, several authors [ 158 , 159 , 160 , 161 ] reviewed the relationship between insular and cognitive impairment and interoception in SZP. In light of these literature findings, it is conceivable that activation of the binding system due to pre-existing dysfunctions in the insula leads to hyperactivation of the insula, as is also found in auditory hallucinations [ 162 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Interplay of Oxytocin and Attachment in Schizophrenic Patients: An fMRI Study

Hennig-Fast,

Meissner,

Steuwe

et al. 2023

Brain Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Attachment theory offers an important framework for understanding interpersonal interaction experiences. In the present study, we examined the neural correlates of attachment patterns and oxytocin in schizophrenic patients (SZP) compared to healthy controls (HC) using fMRI. We assumed that male SZP shows a higher proportion of insecure attachment and an altered level of oxytocin compared to HC. On a neural level, we hypothesized that SZP shows increased neural activation in memory and self-related brain regions during the activation of the attachment system compared to HC. Methods: We used an event-related design for the fMRI study based on stimuli that were derived from the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System to examine attachment representations and their neural and hormonal correlates in 20 male schizophrenic patients compared to 20 male healthy controls. Results: A higher proportion of insecure attachment in schizophrenic patients compared to HC could be confirmed. In line with our hypothesis, Oxytocin (OXT) levels in SZP were significantly lower than in HC. We found increasing brain activations in SZP when confronted with personal relevant sentences before attachment relevant pictures in the precuneus, TPJ, insula, and frontal areas compared to HC. Moreover, we found positive correlations between OXT and bilateral dlPFC, precuneus, and left ACC in SZP only. Conclusion: Despite the small sample sizes, the patients’ response might be considered as a mode of dysregulation when confronted with this kind of personalized attachment-related material. In the patient group, we found positive correlations between OXT and three brain areas (bilateral dlPFC, precuneus, left ACC) and may conclude that OXT might modulate within this neural network in SZP.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Interplay of Oxytocin and Attachment in Schizophrenic Patients: An fMRI Study

Hennig-Fast,

Meissner,

Steuwe

et al. 2023

Brain Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, we observe that psychoanalysis and the neurosciences agree when it comes to the observation that some representations–particularly those stemming from our experiences with the environment, which are stored in our autobiographical memory–can work as a medium for the binding function. These representations take on, in combination with traces from somatic states, a homeostatic role in the psychic balance and are generators of a form of mental equilibrium (Freud, 1900 ; Ansermet and Magistretti, 2004 , 2010 ; Tran The et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More specifically, areas of the DMN such as the ACC are dysfunctional in schizophrenia, and these anomalies have also been linked to disfunctions in the anterior insula (Carter et al, 2001 ). Furthermore, the data from neurobiological literature on anomalies of the insular cortex in schizophrenia, have demonstrated that the disfunction of the insula can constitute one of the underlying biological causes of the disorders in corporal perception present in schizophrenia (Tran The et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hyperactivity of the default mode network in schizophrenia and free energy: A dialogue between Freudian theory of psychosis and neuroscience

The

Ansermet²,

Magistretti³

et al. 2022

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The economic conceptualization of Freudian metapsychology, based on an energetics model of the psyche's workings, offers remarkable commonalities with some recent discoveries in neuroscience, notably in the field of neuroenergetics. The pattern of cerebral activity at resting state and the identification of a default mode network (DMN), a network of areas whose activity is detectable at baseline conditions by neuroimaging techniques, offers a promising field of research in the dialogue between psychoanalysis and neuroscience. In this article we study one significant clinical application of this interdisciplinary dialogue by looking at the role of the DMN in the psychopathology of schizophrenia. Anomalies in the functioning of the DMN have been observed in schizophrenia. Studies have evidenced the existence of hyperactivity in this network in schizophrenia patients, particularly among those for whom a positive symptomatology is dominant. These data are particularly interesting when considered from the perspective of the psychoanalytic understanding of the positive symptoms of psychosis, most notably the Freudian hypothesis of delusions as an “attempt at recovery.” Combining the data from research in neuroimaging of schizophrenia patients with the Freudian hypothesis, we propose considering the hyperactivity of the DMN as a consequence of a process of massive reassociation of traces occurring in schizophrenia. This is a process that may constitute an attempt at minimizing the excess of free energy present in psychosis. Modern models of active inference and the free energy principle (FEP) may shed some light on these processes.

show abstract

“…This could lead to promising future implications of working on the interoceptive awareness of individuals with clinically diagnosed conditions. It is important to note that insular abnormalities manifest differently in various clinical disorders, which calls for further research in how interoceptive awareness differs within specific conditions [ 74 ].…”

Section: Time Perception In Clinical Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors made it clear that temporal dysfunctions are part of the psychopathology of schizophrenia and that concentrating more on the time processing dysfunction in the illness, could be key to improving cognition and functioning in this population [ 75 ]. Moreover, schizophrenic patients also experience grave alterations to the sensitivity of their internal body signals, again pointing towards the role of insular dysfunction in the disturbance of both interoception and time perception [ 74 ].…”

Section: Time Perception In Clinical Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embodying Consciousness through Interoception and a Balanced Time Perspective

Klamut

Weissenberger

2023

Brain Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This review presents current research and scientific knowledge in body mind sciences through the lens of interoception, as a representative of the body; and time perspective, as the representative of the mind. This intertwining dichotomy has been a subject of discourse in many fields, all having the common denominator of consciousness. Our aim is to expand on the congruities of these seemingly deconstructed worlds-of science and philosophy, of the body and the mind, to show that the place of consciousness lies in the zone between these two. Being aware of the body in the present moment. We introduce interoception and time perspective, focusing on how interoceptive signals are depicted in autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation, and how this relates to the concept of a balanced time perspective (BTP), a highly adaptive psychological characteristic. Time perspective and interoception are also reviewed in the case of clinical conditions. We assess findings on interoceptive pathways in the body, finding convergence with balanced time perspective through the neuroanatomical lens. We conclude with findings that both dysregulated interoceptive states and a time perspective disbalance are recognized as defining features of mental disorders, proposing prospective practical therapeutic approaches, as well as implications for further research in the field.

show abstract

Interoception Disorder and Insular Cortex Abnormalities in Schizophrenia: A New Perspective Between Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience

Cited by 10 publications

References 50 publications

The Interplay of Oxytocin and Attachment in Schizophrenic Patients: An fMRI Study

The Interplay of Oxytocin and Attachment in Schizophrenic Patients: An fMRI Study

Hyperactivity of the default mode network in schizophrenia and free energy: A dialogue between Freudian theory of psychosis and neuroscience

Embodying Consciousness through Interoception and a Balanced Time Perspective

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About