The effect of implicit learning on functional connectivity in schizophrenia

IntroductionNeuronal plasticity, or the ability to change and adapt in response to experiences, learning, or environment, is frequently disrupted in schizophrenia and contributes to disease-associated cognitive deficits and functional impairments.MethodsIn this study, we investigated the neuroplasti...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Asli Ceren Hinc, Simay Selek, Ibrahim Sungur, Kaan Keskin, Furkan Yazici, Mehmet Can Erata, Yigit Erdogan, Alpaslan Yilmaz, Omer Kitis, Mehmet Cagdas Eker, Ali Saffet Gonul
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1600449/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849421823461031936
author Asli Ceren Hinc
Asli Ceren Hinc
Simay Selek
Ibrahim Sungur
Ibrahim Sungur
Kaan Keskin
Kaan Keskin
Furkan Yazici
Furkan Yazici
Mehmet Can Erata
Mehmet Can Erata
Yigit Erdogan
Alpaslan Yilmaz
Omer Kitis
Mehmet Cagdas Eker
Mehmet Cagdas Eker
Ali Saffet Gonul
Ali Saffet Gonul
Ali Saffet Gonul
author_facet Asli Ceren Hinc
Asli Ceren Hinc
Simay Selek
Ibrahim Sungur
Ibrahim Sungur
Kaan Keskin
Kaan Keskin
Furkan Yazici
Furkan Yazici
Mehmet Can Erata
Mehmet Can Erata
Yigit Erdogan
Alpaslan Yilmaz
Omer Kitis
Mehmet Cagdas Eker
Mehmet Cagdas Eker
Ali Saffet Gonul
Ali Saffet Gonul
Ali Saffet Gonul
author_sort Asli Ceren Hinc
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionNeuronal plasticity, or the ability to change and adapt in response to experiences, learning, or environment, is frequently disrupted in schizophrenia and contributes to disease-associated cognitive deficits and functional impairments.MethodsIn this study, we investigated the neuroplasticity alterations of schizophrenia patients in the cortico-striato-cerebellar circuits associated with implicit learning using a reward-enhanced Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT) by resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Forty-two schizophrenia patients and 25 healthy controls underwent pre- and post-task rs-fMRI to evaluate changes in functional connectivity.ResultsBehavioral results indicated that all participants demonstrated shorter reaction times during sequential blocks, schizophrenia patients exhibited lower accuracy suggesting diminished implicit learning. Schizophrenia patients exhibited increased connectivity across cortico-striatocerebellar circuits, which became even more robust and widespread following task completion. Despite impaired performance, this post-task hyperconnectivity may reflect a compensatory mechanism attempting to recruit additional neural resources—albeit in a dysfunctional or inefficient manner. Data-driven analyses confirmed the post-task differences between groups, identifying task-induced connectivity changes in thalamo-cortico-cerebellar circuits as the strongest predictors of a group membership.DiscussionThese findings underscore the role of neuroplasticity impairments in schizophrenia-related cognitive deficits, highlighting potential neural markers for clinical differentiation and paving the way for targeted interventions.
format Article
id doaj-art-8f6a5599511e4aef8bbc6d68d0539468
institution Kabale University
issn 1664-0640
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Psychiatry
spelling doaj-art-8f6a5599511e4aef8bbc6d68d05394682025-08-20T03:31:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-06-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.16004491600449The effect of implicit learning on functional connectivity in schizophreniaAsli Ceren Hinc0Asli Ceren Hinc1Simay Selek2Ibrahim Sungur3Ibrahim Sungur4Kaan Keskin5Kaan Keskin6Furkan Yazici7Furkan Yazici8Mehmet Can Erata9Mehmet Can Erata10Yigit Erdogan11Alpaslan Yilmaz12Omer Kitis13Mehmet Cagdas Eker14Mehmet Cagdas Eker15Ali Saffet Gonul16Ali Saffet Gonul17Ali Saffet Gonul18Standardization of Computational Anatomy Techniques for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (SoCAT) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeDepartment of Psychiatry, Izmir City Hospital, Izmir, TürkiyeStandardization of Computational Anatomy Techniques for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (SoCAT) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeStandardization of Computational Anatomy Techniques for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (SoCAT) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeDepartment of Psychiatry, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeStandardization of Computational Anatomy Techniques for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (SoCAT) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeDepartment of Psychiatry, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeStandardization of Computational Anatomy Techniques for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (SoCAT) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeDepartment of Psychiatry, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeStandardization of Computational Anatomy Techniques for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (SoCAT) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Health Sciences, Erenkoy Mental and Neurological Diseases Research, Istanbul, TürkiyeStandardization of Computational Anatomy Techniques for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (SoCAT) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeFaculty of Sport Sciences, Erciyes University, Kayseri, TürkiyeDepartment of Radiology, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeStandardization of Computational Anatomy Techniques for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (SoCAT) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeDepartment of Psychiatry, Izmir City Hospital, Izmir, TürkiyeStandardization of Computational Anatomy Techniques for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (SoCAT) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeDepartment of Psychiatry, Ege University, Izmir, TürkiyeDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Mercer University, School of Medicine, Mocon, GA, United StatesIntroductionNeuronal plasticity, or the ability to change and adapt in response to experiences, learning, or environment, is frequently disrupted in schizophrenia and contributes to disease-associated cognitive deficits and functional impairments.MethodsIn this study, we investigated the neuroplasticity alterations of schizophrenia patients in the cortico-striato-cerebellar circuits associated with implicit learning using a reward-enhanced Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT) by resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Forty-two schizophrenia patients and 25 healthy controls underwent pre- and post-task rs-fMRI to evaluate changes in functional connectivity.ResultsBehavioral results indicated that all participants demonstrated shorter reaction times during sequential blocks, schizophrenia patients exhibited lower accuracy suggesting diminished implicit learning. Schizophrenia patients exhibited increased connectivity across cortico-striatocerebellar circuits, which became even more robust and widespread following task completion. Despite impaired performance, this post-task hyperconnectivity may reflect a compensatory mechanism attempting to recruit additional neural resources—albeit in a dysfunctional or inefficient manner. Data-driven analyses confirmed the post-task differences between groups, identifying task-induced connectivity changes in thalamo-cortico-cerebellar circuits as the strongest predictors of a group membership.DiscussionThese findings underscore the role of neuroplasticity impairments in schizophrenia-related cognitive deficits, highlighting potential neural markers for clinical differentiation and paving the way for targeted interventions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1600449/fullschizophrenianeuroplasticityserial reaction time taskfMRIimplicit learningneuroimaging
spellingShingle Asli Ceren Hinc
Asli Ceren Hinc
Simay Selek
Ibrahim Sungur
Ibrahim Sungur
Kaan Keskin
Kaan Keskin
Furkan Yazici
Furkan Yazici
Mehmet Can Erata
Mehmet Can Erata
Yigit Erdogan
Alpaslan Yilmaz
Omer Kitis
Mehmet Cagdas Eker
Mehmet Cagdas Eker
Ali Saffet Gonul
Ali Saffet Gonul
Ali Saffet Gonul
The effect of implicit learning on functional connectivity in schizophrenia
Frontiers in Psychiatry
schizophrenia
neuroplasticity
serial reaction time task
fMRI
implicit learning
neuroimaging
title The effect of implicit learning on functional connectivity in schizophrenia
title_full The effect of implicit learning on functional connectivity in schizophrenia
title_fullStr The effect of implicit learning on functional connectivity in schizophrenia
title_full_unstemmed The effect of implicit learning on functional connectivity in schizophrenia
title_short The effect of implicit learning on functional connectivity in schizophrenia
title_sort effect of implicit learning on functional connectivity in schizophrenia
topic schizophrenia
neuroplasticity
serial reaction time task
fMRI
implicit learning
neuroimaging
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1600449/full
work_keys_str_mv AT aslicerenhinc theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT aslicerenhinc theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT simayselek theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT ibrahimsungur theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT ibrahimsungur theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT kaankeskin theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT kaankeskin theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT furkanyazici theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT furkanyazici theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT mehmetcanerata theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT mehmetcanerata theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT yigiterdogan theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT alpaslanyilmaz theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT omerkitis theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT mehmetcagdaseker theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT mehmetcagdaseker theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT alisaffetgonul theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT alisaffetgonul theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT alisaffetgonul theeffectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT aslicerenhinc effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT aslicerenhinc effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT simayselek effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT ibrahimsungur effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT ibrahimsungur effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT kaankeskin effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT kaankeskin effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT furkanyazici effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT furkanyazici effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT mehmetcanerata effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT mehmetcanerata effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT yigiterdogan effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT alpaslanyilmaz effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT omerkitis effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT mehmetcagdaseker effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT mehmetcagdaseker effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT alisaffetgonul effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT alisaffetgonul effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia
AT alisaffetgonul effectofimplicitlearningonfunctionalconnectivityinschizophrenia