Social dysfunction and default mode network functional integrity in neuropsychiatric disorders: A cross-disorder...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Social dysfunction is a common early symptom in various neuropsychiatric disorders, potentially linked to the default mode network (DMN).
• Replication of neuroimaging findings across disorders is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate and extend findings on the association between social dysfunction and DMN integrity.
• To investigate DMN functional connectivity and activation in schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, major depressive disorder, and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state and task-based functional MRI (fMRI) data were collected from overlapping cohorts.
• Social dysfunction was assessed using the Social Functioning Scale (SFS) and Loneliness (LON) scale.
• Mega-analyses combined current data with a prior independent sample.

Main Results:

• Diminished DMN connectivity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex was replicated and extended to major depressive disorder patients.
• Mega-analyses confirmed associations between social dysfunction and DMN connectivity in the dorsomedial and rostromedial prefrontal cortex.
• No significant associations were found between social dysfunction and DMN activation in response to emotional faces.

Conclusions:

• Reduced dorsomedial prefrontal cortex DMN connectivity is a transdiagnostic neurobiological marker for social dysfunction.
• This finding may inform precision medicine approaches for neuropsychiatric disorders.
• DMN functional responses to emotional faces are unlikely to be sensitive biomarkers for social dysfunction.