Fronto-occipital dyscommunication associates with brain hierarchy in schizophrenia

Abstract Schizophrenia involves abnormal fronto-occipital interactions linked to hallucinations and cognitive impairments, but the neural mechanisms remain unclear. This work aims to provide an overview of the relationship between fronto-occipital dysfunction and symptoms using simultaneous EEG-fMRI...

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Main Authors: Haonan Pei, Hechun Li, Changyue Hou, Yayun Liu, Jiashuo Liu, Mingjun Duan, Dezhong Yao, Sisi Jiang, Cheng Luo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Communications Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08053-4
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author Haonan Pei
Hechun Li
Changyue Hou
Yayun Liu
Jiashuo Liu
Mingjun Duan
Dezhong Yao
Sisi Jiang
Cheng Luo
author_facet Haonan Pei
Hechun Li
Changyue Hou
Yayun Liu
Jiashuo Liu
Mingjun Duan
Dezhong Yao
Sisi Jiang
Cheng Luo
author_sort Haonan Pei
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Schizophrenia involves abnormal fronto-occipital interactions linked to hallucinations and cognitive impairments, but the neural mechanisms remain unclear. This work aims to provide an overview of the relationship between fronto-occipital dysfunction and symptoms using simultaneous EEG-fMRI data in schizophrenia. We measured the brain’s functional separation and quantified bidirectional information transfer changes between the frontal and occipital regions. A pronounced elevation in correlation within the frontal lobe, accompanied by a marked reduction in the occipital lobe, was observed between gradient eccentricities and theta-power of forward waves. Moreover, the relationship between forward waves and gradient eccentricities in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex may be shaped by positive symptoms, while the influence of negative symptoms appears to modulate the relationship between backward waves and gradient eccentricities in the insula. The MOR and CB1 neurotransmitters predominantly contributed to associations between eccentricities and traveling waves. Symptoms promote the dysregulation of hierarchical separation and information transmission in schizophrenia.
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publishDate 2025-05-01
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spelling doaj-art-97b94e41aa4c4207b5b9f9d4b105d3ac2025-08-20T03:09:20ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-05-018111010.1038/s42003-025-08053-4Fronto-occipital dyscommunication associates with brain hierarchy in schizophreniaHaonan Pei0Hechun Li1Changyue Hou2Yayun Liu3Jiashuo Liu4Mingjun Duan5Dezhong Yao6Sisi Jiang7Cheng Luo8The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaAbstract Schizophrenia involves abnormal fronto-occipital interactions linked to hallucinations and cognitive impairments, but the neural mechanisms remain unclear. This work aims to provide an overview of the relationship between fronto-occipital dysfunction and symptoms using simultaneous EEG-fMRI data in schizophrenia. We measured the brain’s functional separation and quantified bidirectional information transfer changes between the frontal and occipital regions. A pronounced elevation in correlation within the frontal lobe, accompanied by a marked reduction in the occipital lobe, was observed between gradient eccentricities and theta-power of forward waves. Moreover, the relationship between forward waves and gradient eccentricities in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex may be shaped by positive symptoms, while the influence of negative symptoms appears to modulate the relationship between backward waves and gradient eccentricities in the insula. The MOR and CB1 neurotransmitters predominantly contributed to associations between eccentricities and traveling waves. Symptoms promote the dysregulation of hierarchical separation and information transmission in schizophrenia.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08053-4
spellingShingle Haonan Pei
Hechun Li
Changyue Hou
Yayun Liu
Jiashuo Liu
Mingjun Duan
Dezhong Yao
Sisi Jiang
Cheng Luo
Fronto-occipital dyscommunication associates with brain hierarchy in schizophrenia
Communications Biology
title Fronto-occipital dyscommunication associates with brain hierarchy in schizophrenia
title_full Fronto-occipital dyscommunication associates with brain hierarchy in schizophrenia
title_fullStr Fronto-occipital dyscommunication associates with brain hierarchy in schizophrenia
title_full_unstemmed Fronto-occipital dyscommunication associates with brain hierarchy in schizophrenia
title_short Fronto-occipital dyscommunication associates with brain hierarchy in schizophrenia
title_sort fronto occipital dyscommunication associates with brain hierarchy in schizophrenia
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08053-4
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