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This study found that individuals with schizophrenia show reduced stimulus-driven coordination within the default mode network (DMN) when viewing naturalistic social videos, compared to healthy controls. Using fMRI data from 124 adults, researchers identified weaker coupling between DMN regions like the parahippocampal gyrus, precuneus, and medial prefrontal cortex in the schizophrenia group, while general resting-state DMN connectivity remained intact. These findings suggest that social cognitive difficulties in schizophrenia may stem from impaired dynamic integration of social information rather than overall network disruption.
Why it matters
Understanding the neural basis of social dysfunction in schizophrenia could inform targeted interventions and rehabilitation strategies. The findings highlight that naturalistic neuroimaging paradigms may better capture real-world deficits than traditional task-based approaches, potentially improving diagnostic and treatment development methods for social cognitive impairments.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Background Social dysfunction is a major source of disability in schizophrenia, yet the neural mechanisms that contribute to impaired social understanding remain poorly understood. Converging evidence points to the role of the default mode network (DMN) in integrating social information over time to construct interpretations of social behaviors. Here, we tested the hypothesis that individuals with schizophrenia show reduced stimulus-driven coordination between brain regions within the DMN during free viewing of naturalistic social stimuli. Methods A sample of 124 adults (schizophrenia: n=63; healthy controls: n=61) viewed naturalistic video clips during fMRI. Inter-subject functional connectivity (ISFC) was computed within the two groups. Group differences were identified via permutation testing. We also explored group differences in other brain networks to examine whether effects were specific to the DMN. Results Individuals with schizophrenia showed weaker stimulus-driven coupling within the DMN compared to healthy controls, specifically between areas such as the parahippocampal gyrus, precuneus, and medial prefrontal cortex. Group differences in ISFC were specific to the DMN. Furthermore, no between-group differences emerged for within-participant functional connectivity in the DMN, suggesting that the observed effects reflect reduced stimulus-driven coordination among DMN regions when processing social stimuli rather than a more general decline in DMN connectivity. Conclusions Schizophrenia is characterized by impaired coordination within the DMN as it dynamically integrates social information over time, which could contribute to difficulties in constructing coherent interpretations of real-world social situations. These findings suggest that disrupted stimulus-driven network coordination might underlie social cognitive impairments in schizophrenia, highlighting the value of naturalistic paradigms for revealing network-level dysfunction under conditions that closely approximate real-world experience.