Daouia I Larabi1, Remco J Renken2, Joana Cabral3, Jan-Bernard C Marsman2, André Aleman4, Branislava Ćurčić-Blake2. 1. University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Groningen, the Netherlands; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: d.larabi@fz-juelich.de. 2. University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Groningen, the Netherlands. 3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. 4. University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Groningen, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, Department of Psychology, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cognitive insight is defined as the ability to reflect upon oneself (i.e. self-reflectiveness), and to not be overly confident of one's own (incorrect) beliefs (i.e. self-certainty). These abilities are impaired in several disorders, while they are essential for the evaluation and regulation of one's behavior. We hypothesized that cognitive insight is a dynamic process, and therefore examined how it relates to temporal dynamics of resting state functional connectivity (FC) and underlying structural network characteristics in 58 healthy individuals. METHODS: Cognitive insight was measured with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. FC characteristics were calculated after obtaining four FC states with leading eigenvector dynamics analysis. Gray matter (GM) and DTI connectomes were based on GM similarity and probabilistic tractography. Structural graph characteristics, such as path length, clustering coefficient, and small-world coefficient, were calculated with the Brain Connectivity Toolbox. FC and structural graph characteristics were correlated with cognitive insight. RESULTS: Individuals with lower cognitive insight switched more and spent less time in a globally synchronized state. Additionally, individuals with lower self-reflectiveness spent more time in, had a higher probability of, and had a higher chance of switching to a state entailing default mode network (DMN) areas. With lower self-reflectiveness, DTI-connectomes were segregated less (i.e. lower global clustering coefficient) with lower embeddedness of the left angular gyrus specifically (i.e. lower local clustering coefficient). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest less stable functional and structural networks in individuals with poorer cognitive insight, specifically self-reflectiveness. An overly present DMN appears to play a key role in poorer self-reflectiveness.
BACKGROUND: Cognitive insight is defined as the ability to reflect upon oneself (i.e. self-reflectiveness), and to not be overly confident of one's own (incorrect) beliefs (i.e. self-certainty). These abilities are impaired in several disorders, while they are essential for the evaluation and regulation of one's behavior. We hypothesized that cognitive insight is a dynamic process, and therefore examined how it relates to temporal dynamics of resting state functional connectivity (FC) and underlying structural network characteristics in 58 healthy individuals. METHODS: Cognitive insight was measured with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. FC characteristics were calculated after obtaining four FC states with leading eigenvector dynamics analysis. Gray matter (GM) and DTI connectomes were based on GM similarity and probabilistic tractography. Structural graph characteristics, such as path length, clustering coefficient, and small-world coefficient, were calculated with the Brain Connectivity Toolbox. FC and structural graph characteristics were correlated with cognitive insight. RESULTS: Individuals with lower cognitive insight switched more and spent less time in a globally synchronized state. Additionally, individuals with lower self-reflectiveness spent more time in, had a higher probability of, and had a higher chance of switching to a state entailing default mode network (DMN) areas. With lower self-reflectiveness, DTI-connectomes were segregated less (i.e. lower global clustering coefficient) with lower embeddedness of the left angular gyrus specifically (i.e. lower local clustering coefficient). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest less stable functional and structural networks in individuals with poorer cognitive insight, specifically self-reflectiveness. An overly present DMN appears to play a key role in poorer self-reflectiveness.
Authors: Inês Caetano; Sónia Ferreira; Ana Coelho; Liliana Amorim; Teresa Costa Castanho; Carlos Portugal-Nunes; José Miguel Soares; Nuno Gonçalves; Rui Sousa; Joana Reis; Catarina Lima; Paulo Marques; Pedro Silva Moreira; Ana João Rodrigues; Nadine Correia Santos; Pedro Morgado; Ricardo Magalhães; Maria Picó-Pérez; Joana Cabral; Nuno Sousa Journal: Mol Psychiatry Date: 2022-09-18 Impact factor: 13.437