Aberrant Salience Research Articles

Perceived Meaningfulness of Semantically Noncongruent Stimuli Increases in Art Context

Abstract The media occasionally report instances where people mistake ordinary objects for art. This often happens in art galleries or museums and might suggest that people attribute meaning differently depending on whether the context is artistic or rooted in everyday life. In this manuscript, we investigate how people attribute meaning to seemingly nonsensical sentences and images when they believe they are made by poets or artists. We used a collection of sentences that conclude with semantically congruent and noncongruent words, and a collection of images where the object is either congruent or noncongruent with the background. We randomly assigned participants to the baseline and experimental (art) conditions, telling participants in the art condition that the sentences/images were created by artists. Studies 1 and 2 found that the art context increases the perceived meaningfulness of noncongruent sentences (‘Most cats see well at court’), but not the congruent ones (‘Most cats see well at night’), while Study 3 found a similar effect regarding noncongruent images (a lion in an office) and congruent images (a lion in a field). Additionally, we discuss how individual differences in aberrant salience and religiosity moderate the main effects of the art context on meaning-making. These results advance our theoretical understanding of how art contexts affect the interpretation of meaning and the importance of semantic noncongruency.

The association between aberrant salience and psychotic experiences in general population twins, and genetic vulnerability as a modifier

BackgroundPrevious studies assessing the hypothesis that the construct of ‘aberrant salience’ is associated with psychosis and psychotic symptoms showed conflicting results. For this reason, the association between measures to index aberrant salience and subclinical psychotic symptoms in a general population sample was analysed. In addition, genetic vulnerability was added to the analysis as a modifier to test the hypothesis that modification by genetic vulnerability may explain variability in the results.MethodsThe TwinssCan project obtained data from general population twins (N = 887). CAPE (Community Assessment of Psychic Experience) scores were used to index psychotic experiences. Aberrant salience was assessed with white noise task and ambiguous situations task.ResultsMeasures of aberrant salience were not associated with psychotic experiences, nor was there evidence for an interaction with genetic predisposition in this association (Z = 1.08, p = 0.282).ConclusionsVarious studies including the present could not replicate the association between aberrant salience and psychotic experiences in general population samples. The conflicting findings might be explained by moderation by genetic vulnerability, but results are inconsistent. If there was evidence for a main effect or interaction, this was in the positive symptom scale only. On the other hand, the association was more robust in so-called ‘ultra-high risk’ patients and first episode psychosis patients. Thus, this association may represent a state-dependent association, present only at the more severe end of the psychosis spectrum.

Latent profile analysis identifies four different clinical schizophrenia profiles through aberrant salience

Understanding the role of aberrant salience (AS) in psychosis is crucial for comprehending schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). Researchers emphasize the importance of salience attribution in schizophrenia, acknowledging its interaction with environmental stressors and multiple neurotransmitter systems. Childhood trauma and adversities (CTA) play a significant role in SSDs, potentially contributing to prodromal symptoms characterized by AS. While empirical evidence supports the relationship between AS and SSD, the interplay between different AS patterns, CTA, and psychotic symptoms remains unclear. Clinical diagnosis followed DSM-5 criteria, and participants completed assessments including the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short form (CTQ-SF), and Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to identify distinct AS profiles within the sample, with subsequent analyses examining differences in psychopathological variables among these profiles. Among 262 participants, four distinct AS profiles emerged from LPA: low AS, high AS with severe symptoms and CTA, intermediate AS with sexual abuse correlation, and chronic AS with specific childhood trauma associations. Profile distinctions included differences in age, hospitalizations, psychotic symptoms, and CTA. Logistic regression analyses showed significant associations between the four profiles and emotional and sexual abuse, physical neglect and clinical variables. Subtyping individuals with SSD based on AS revealed four distinct profiles, each with unique clinical characteristics and associations with CTA. Future studies should investigate whether these profiles correspond to diverse treatment outcomes. These findings highlight the complexity of schizophrenia presentation and underscore the importance of considering individualized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Gaze behaviors during free viewing revealed differences in visual salience processing across four major psychiatric disorders: a mega-analysis study of 1012 individuals.

Aberrant salience processing has been proposed as a pathophysiological mechanism underlying psychiatric symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. The gaze trajectories of individuals with schizophrenia have been reported to be abnormal when viewing an image, suggesting anomalous visual salience as one possible pathophysiological mechanism associated with psychiatric diseases. This study was designed to determine whether visual salience is affected in individuals with schizophrenia, and whether this abnormality is unique to patients with schizophrenia. We examined the gaze behaviors of 1012 participants recruited from seven institutes (550 healthy individuals and 238, 41, 50 and 133 individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and autism spectrum disorder, respectively) when they looked at stationary images as they liked, i.e., free-viewing condition. We used an established computational model of salience maps derived from low-level visual features to measure the degree to which the gaze trajectories of individuals were guided by visual salience. The analysis revealed that the saliency at the gaze of individuals with schizophrenia were higher than healthy individuals, suggesting that patients' gazes were guided more by low-level image salience. Among the low-level image features, orientation salience was most affected. Furthermore, a general linear model analysis of the data for the four psychiatric disorders revealed a significant effect of disease. This abnormal salience processing depended on the disease and was strongest in patients with schizophrenia, followed by patients with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and autism spectrum disorder, suggesting a link between abnormalities in salience processing and strength/frequency for psychosis of these disorders.

Acute optogenetic induction of the prodromal endophenotype of CA1 hyperactivity causes schizophrenia-related deficits in cognition and salience attribution.

Hyperactivity of the human anterior hippocampus has been reported to spread from its CA1 subfield to the subiculum around the onset of first-episode psychosis and could be a cellular target for early therapeutic intervention in the schizophrenia prodrome. However, to what extent CA1 hyperactivity actually causes schizophrenia-related symptoms remains unknown. Here, we mimic this endophenotype by direct optogenetic activation of excitatory cells in the homologous mouse region, ventral CA1 (vCA1) and assess its consequence in multiple schizophrenia-related behavioural tests. We find that hyperactivity of vCA1 causes hyperlocomotion and impairments of spatial and object-related short-term habituation (spatial novelty-preference and novel-object recognition memory) and spatial working memory, whereas social interaction, spatial exploration, and anxiety remain unaltered. Stimulation of the ventral subiculum, in contrast, only increased locomotion and exploration. In conclusion, CA1 hyperactivity may be a direct driver of prodromal cognitive symptoms and of aberrant salience assignment leading to psychosis.

Exploring the associations between momentary cortisol levels and psychotic-like experiences in young adults: Results from a temporal network analysis of daily-life data.

Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been implicated in the development of psychosis and subthreshold psychotic symptoms commonly referred to as psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). The exact mechanisms linking the HPA axis responses with the emergence of PLEs remain unknown. The present study aimed to explore real-life associations between stress, negative affect, salivary cortisol levels (a proxy of the HPA axis activity) as well as PLEs together with their underlying cognitive biases (i.e., threat anticipation and aberrant salience). The study was based on the experience sampling method scheduled over 7 consecutive days in the sample of 77 drug-naïve, young adults (18-35 years). The saliva samples were collected with each prompt to measure cortisol levels. A temporal network analysis was used to explore the directed associations of tested variables. Altogether, 3234 data entries were analyzed. Data analysis revealed that salivary cortisol levels did not directly predict next-moment fluctuations of PLEs. However, higher salivary cortisol levels were associated with higher next-moment levels of PLEs through the effects on threat anticipation and negative affect. In turn, PLEs appeared to predict cortisol levels through the effects on negative affect and event-related stress. Negative affect and threat anticipation were the most central nodes in the network. There might be bidirectional associations between the HPA axis responses and PLEs. Threat anticipation and negative affect might be the most important mediators of these associations. Interventions targeting these mediators might hold promise for disrupting the connection between the HPA axis dysregulation and PLEs.

Aberrant salience in acute versus chronic schizophrenia: Do medication and positive symptoms make a difference?

The nature of aberrant salience in schizophrenia, whether it is a state or a trait phenomenon, remains unclear. To assess and compare aberrant salience in patients with schizophrenia at different stages of the illness and to explore its association with symptom severity and medication use. A total of 113 subjects were included, comprising 83 patients with schizophrenia divided into three groups: group A (acute drug-free symptomatic stage, n = 23), group B (chronic-medicated symptomatic stage, n = 30), and group C (chronic-medicated asymptomatic stage, n = 30). These were compared with a healthy control group (group D, n = 30). Participants were assessed using the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) and clinical rating scales, including Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales, Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms, and Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Significant differences were observed across almost all domains of aberrant salience. The most notable differences were between the symptomatic groups (A, B) and the healthy controls (D). Subgroup analysis showed no significant differences between the acute (A) and chronic groups (B, C), but significant differences were found between the symptomatic (A, B) and asymptomatic (C) groups in several domains and in the total ASI score. A highly significant positive correlation was noted between the total ASI score and the symptom rating scales, except for SANS. Aberrant salience is significantly elevated in patients with prominent positive symptoms, particularly delusions and hallucinations. It appears comparable to the general population in chronic remitted patients, suggesting that aberrant salience is state-dependent. Medication did not significantly influence aberrant salience as both medicated and nonmedicated symptomatic patients continued to exhibit it. However, medication may contribute to reducing aberrant salience by alleviating positive psychotic symptoms.

Creative Minds: Altered Salience as a Bridge Between Creativity and Psychosis, a Case–Control Study

ABSTRACTPrior studies suggest a multifaceted relationship between creativity and psychopathology, indicating that mild psychopathology might enhance creative behavior. Moreover, similar brain regions may be implicated in both creativity and psychosis. Although aberrant salience (AS) is often associated with psychotic disorders, it could also enhance creative capabilities. This study assesses salience alterations among healthy individuals, artists, and patients with psychosis to investigate its influence on creativity. Three groups were studied: 196 healthy controls, 50 artists from Florence Academy of Fine Arts, and 84 outpatients with a diagnosis of psychosis. They were assessed with the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI). We compared ASI scores among the groups using ANOVA, followed by post‐hoc t‐tests, and adjusted the scores for age, gender, and education through ANCOVA. The ANOVA revealed significant differences in ASI scores among the groups, with artists displaying notably higher ASI scores than both controls and patients. ANCOVA confirmed that group membership was a significant factor influencing ASI scores, while age, gender, and education were not. Additionally, antipsychotic treatment did not significantly impact ASI scores among patients. Rather than an unequivocal marker of pathology, AS might also be interpreted as an anthropological asset, enhancing creative faculties alongside unique perceptual experiences. Education may help individuals in channeling their AS mechanisms through art.

Overshadowing and salience attribution in relation to cannabis use

Aberrant attentional salience has been implicated in the cannabis-psychosis association. Here, history and frequency of cannabis use were examined against changes in overshadowing (OS), a cue competition paradigm that involves salience processing. Additionally, we examined the association between OS and alternative measures of aberrant salience, as well as schizotypy, in a non-clinical adult sample.280 participants completed an online geometry learning-based OS task, while a subset (N = 149) also completed the Salience Attribution Task (SAT) measure of aberrant salience. All completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), and the modified Cannabis Experience Questionnaire (CEQmv). Differences across OS and SAT performance stages and between cannabis use groups were assessed using mixed ANOVAs. Multiple regression and correlational analyses assessed the relationships between OS and SAT task metrics and SPQ and ASI subscale scores.Current cannabis users had significantly lower OS scores during the testing phase relative to those who do not use cannabis, at medium effect sizes. Schizotypy or ASI scores did not mediate this relationship. In the SAT, current cannabis users presented significantly higher implicit aberrant salience relative to non-users. Scores in the first training phase of the OS task significantly predicted higher explicit aberrant and adaptive salience scores in the SAT.These data indicate an association between regular cannabis use and abnormalities in cue competition effects in a healthy adult sample. Comparisons of OS and SAT cast new light on putative overlapping mechanisms underlying performance across different measures of salience.

Aberrant salience mediates the interplay between emotional abuse and positive symptoms in schizophrenia

IntroductionChildhood trauma and adversities (CTA) and aberrant salience (AS) have a pivotal role in schizophrenia development, but their interplay with psychotic symptoms remains vague. We explored the mediation performed by AS between CTA and psychotic symptomatology in schizophrenia. MethodsWe approached 241 adults suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), who have been in the unit for at least 12 consecutive months, excluding the diagnosis of dementia, and recent substance abuse disorder, and cross-sectional evaluated through the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short-Form (CTQ-SF), and Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS). We tested a path-diagram where AS mediated the relationship between CTA and psychosis, after verifying each measure one-dimensionality through confirmatory factor analysis. ResultsThe final sample comprised 222 patients (36.9% female), with a mean age of 42.4 (± 13.3) years and an average antipsychotic dose of 453.6 (± 184.2) mg/day (chlorpromazine equivalents). The mean duration of untreated psychosis was 1.8 (± 2.0) years while the mean onset age was 23.9 (± 8.2) years. Significant paths were found from emotional abuse to ASI total score (β = 0.39; p < .001) and from ASI total score to PANSS positive (β = 0.17; p = .019). Finally, a statistically significant indirect association was found from emotional abuse to PANSS positive mediated by ASI total score (β = 0.06; p = .041; CI 95% [0.01, 0.13]). ConclusionEmotional abuse has an AS-mediated effect on positive psychotic symptomatology. AS evaluation could allow a better characterization of psychosis as well as explain the presence of positive symptoms in adults with SSDs who experienced CTA.

Psychopathological characteristics in ultra-high risk for psychosis with and without comorbid ADHD.

This study investigates the psychopathological characteristics of a sample of individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis with and without comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Twenty-eight subjects (aged 13-21 years; 13 females) with attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS) were recruited in a cross-sectional study and divided into two groups, each with 14 patients, according to the presence or absence of ADHD. The APS group showed a significantly higher prevalence of negative symptoms than the APS + ADHD group. Other characteristics investigated (positive symptoms, aberrant salience, psychotic-like experiences and prodromal symptoms) did not differ between groups. The different profiles of negative symptoms in the APS with or without ADHD might suggest the presence of a specific subtype among individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis. Longitudinal studies with larger samples will provide information about the role of negative symptoms in determining conversion to full psychosis in those people with 'pure' APS and those with APS + ADHD.

Aberrant Salience, Psychotic-Like Experiences, and Anxiety: a Case-Control Study

IntroductionIn this research, we investigate how Aberrant Salience (AS), Psychotic-Like Experiences (PLEs), and anxiety are interlinked in both healthy individuals and subjects with psychotic disorders. AS is a trait contributing to a susceptibility to psychosis and anxiety, while PLEs are subclinical states often leading to psychosis. We hypothesize that AS impacts the occurrence and severity of PLEs, which in turn influences anxiety.ObjectivesThe goal is to offer a more nuanced understanding of the risk factors leading to psychotic disorders and to shed light on anxiety psychopathogenesis in healthy and psychotic populations.MethodsWe used self-reported questionnaires like the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE), and Symptom Check List-90-revised (SCL-90-R). Data analysis included descriptive statistics and mediation analysis, adjusting for age, gender, and education. Controls were sourced through convenience and snowball sampling, while out-patients diagnosed with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder, Bipolar Disorder with psychotic features, or Major Depression with psychotic features were recruited from Florence University Hospital.ResultsA total of 207 participants were included, with 163 controls and 44 patients. Descriptive statistics are shown in Table 1. Mediation analysis showed that PLEs frequency acted as a mediator between AS and anxiety only in the control group (Figure 1), not in patients (Figure 2).Table 1.Descriptive statistics - Mean ± Std. Deviation.Control Group (N=163)Psychotic Group (N=44)p-value ASI11.690 ± 6.09814.360 ± 7.1630.014CAPEposF1.391 ± 0.3401.617 ± 0.4880.001CAPEposD1.792 ± 0.6151.941 ± 0.6940.167SCL-90-R-ANX0.678 ± 0.6000.905 ± 0.6430.030Legend: ASI, Aberrant Salience Inventory; CAPEposF, Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences - positive dimension - Frequency; CAPEposD, Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences - positive dimension - Distress; SCL-90-R-ANX, Symptom Check List-90-revised, Anxiety.Image:Image 2:ConclusionsPLEs triggered by AS led to anxiety in the control group but not in psychotic patients. The discrepancy could be due to reduced novelty and awareness of experiences in the patient group. This may affect how bodily responses to PLEs are perceived and suggests the need for specialized treatment approaches for anxiety in these two groups.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The role of cannabis and salience alterations in determining the severity of psychotic symptoms: a multi-centric, cross-sectional study on adolescent and adult cohorts

IntroductionThe aim of this project is to study to which extent salience alterations influence the severity of psychotic symptoms. However, rather than studying them individually, we decided to focus on their interplay with two additional variables, that is: observing their effect in a vulnerability phase (adolescence) and with another added, well-recognized risk factor (cannabis use).The reason for this study design lies in the fact that, in our opinion, it is fundamental to observe the trajectory of psychotic symptoms over a continuum; however, rather than adopting a longitudinal approach, we decided to structure it as a cross-sectional study confronting patients from two age brackets - adolescence and adulthood.ObjectivesThe primary purpose of this study was to assess a difference between THC-abusing and non-abusing patients in adolescent and adult cohorts, using the Italian version of the psychometric scale “Aberrant Salience Inventory” (ASI), and the possible correlation with more severe psychotic symptoms. The employment of several different psychometric scales and the inclusion of a variegated cohort allowed to pursue multiple secondary objectives.MethodsWe recruited 192 patients, subsequently divided into six subgroups based on age and department of recruitment (whether adolescent or adult psychiatric or neurologic units - the latter serving as controls). Each individual was administered a set of questionnaires and a socio-demographic survey; the set included: Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Mania Rating Scale (MRS), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), Association for Methodology and Documentation in Psychiatry (AMDP) and Cannabis Experience Questionnaire (CEQ).ResultsThe data analysis showed statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) differences between adolescents and adults with psychotic symptoms in all of the three scales of PANSS and in MADRS. These two groups were homogenous for both cannabis use and ASI score. The intra-group comparison (either adolescent or adult) showed a hierarchical pattern in the scores of psychometric scales according to the diagnostic subgroup of allocation: patients with psychotic symptoms showed an higher level of psychopathology in all measures when compared to patients from the psychiatric unit without psychotic symptoms, which in turn scored higher than the patients from the neurologic unit.Image:ConclusionsThe results of the present study may suggest that when salience alterations occur in adolescents with cannabis exposure, we might observe worsened positive and negative psychotic symptoms; their influence might be relevant also in other domains, especially regarding the depressive and anxiety spectrums.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Associations of conservatism and jumping to conclusions biases with aberrant salience and default mode network.

While conservatism bias refers to the human need for more evidence for decision-making than rational thinking expects, the jumping to conclusions (JTC) bias refers to the need for less evidence among individuals with schizophrenia/delusion compared to healthy people. Although the hippocampus-midbrain-striatal aberrant salience system and the salience, default mode (DMN), and frontoparietal networks ("triple networks") are implicated in delusion/schizophrenia pathophysiology, the associations between conservatism/JTC and these systems/networks are unclear. Thirty-seven patients with schizophrenia and 33 healthy controls performed the beads task, with large and small numbers of bead draws to decision (DTD) indicating conservatism and JTC, respectively. We performed independent component analysis (ICA) of resting functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. For systems/networks above, we investigated interactions between diagnosis and DTD, and main effects of DTD. We similarly applied ICA to structural and diffusion MRI to explore the associations between DTD and gray/white matter. We identified a significant main effect of DTD with functional connectivity between the striatum and DMN, which was negatively correlated with delusion severity in patients, indicating that the greater the anti-correlation between these networks, the stronger the JTC and delusion. We further observed the main effects of DTD on a gray matter network resembling the DMN, and a white matter network connecting the functional and gray matter networks (all P < 0.05, family-wise error [FWE] correction). Function and gray/white matter showed no significant interactions. Our results support the novel association of conservatism and JTC biases with aberrant salience and default brain mode.

Visual salience is affected in participants with schizophrenia during free-viewing

Abnormalities in visual exploration affect the daily lives of patients with schizophrenia. For example, scanpath length during free-viewing is shorter in schizophrenia. However, its origin and its relevance to symptoms are unknown. Here we investigate the possibility that abnormalities in eye movements result from abnormalities in visual or visuo-cognitive processing. More specifically, we examined whether such abnormalities reflect visual salience in schizophrenia. Eye movements of 82 patients and 252 healthy individuals viewing natural and/or complex images were examined using saliency maps for static images to determine the contributions of low-level visual features to salience-guided eye movements. The results showed that the mean value for orientation salience at the gazes of the participants with schizophrenia were higher than that of the healthy control subjects. Further analyses revealed that orientation salience defined by the L + M channel of the DKL color space is specifically affected in schizophrenia, suggesting abnormalities in the magnocellular visual pathway. By looking into the computational stages of the visual salience, we found that the difference between schizophrenia and healthy control emerges at the earlier stage, suggesting functional decline in early visual processing. These results suggest that visual salience is affected in schizophrenia, thereby expanding the concept of the aberrant salience hypothesis of psychosis to the visual domain.

Towards a Unified Account of Aberrant Salience in Psychosis: Proximate and Evolutionary Mechanisms

Towards a Unified Account of Aberrant Salience in Psychosis: Proximate and Evolutionary Mechanisms

Counseling in the face of crisis: supporting mental health in Tor Vergata University students during the Covid-19 era.

This study aims to present an overview of the clinical experience of the counseling service "Sportello Studenti". The service offers free diagnostic and therapeutic psychological assistance to all Tor Vergata University of Rome students. Preliminary findings on the prevalence of anxious, depressive, and prodromal symptoms in a subset of participants recruited during the initial three-year period of the service's operation (2019-2022) are presented. Beck's Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Prodromal Questionnaire 16 (PQ-16) and Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) have been used to investigate principle psychopathological dimensions. 261 students aged 18 to 35 completed the assessment (180 female - 69%). Mild widespread depressive symptoms (35.5%) and mild to severe suicide ideation (5.1%) were highlighted. Ninety students (37.2%) result at a higher risk condition for psychosis. A significant statistical correlation between negative psychopathological indicators, such as suicidal thoughts and age, suggests that younger students exhibit higher susceptibility and vulnerability to mental health issues. The increasing prevalence of distress among young individuals represents an urgent public health concern that necessitates immediate intervention. It is crucial for countries to adopt a comprehensive approach to promoting psychological and mental health. University counseling services serve as an effective initial intervention to address the negative impact of mental illness on academic performance, social interactions, and emotional well-being in young individuals. They also play a pivotal role in the early identification of individuals at risk of developing severe psychiatric disorders. Sportello Studenti has proven to be a valuable initiative addressing the mental health needs of University of Tor Vergata students, underscoring the significance of promoting psychological well-being.

Aberrant salience in cannabis-induced psychosis: a comparative study.

Natural Cannabis (NC) and Synthetic Cannabinoids (SCs) use can increase the risk and exacerbate the course of psychotic disorders. These could be influenced by the Aberrant Salience (AS) construct. It refers to an excess of attribution of meaning to stimuli that are otherwise regarded as neutral, thereby transform them into adverse, dangerous, or mysterious entities. This leads the patient to engage in aberrant and consequently incorrect interpretative efforts concerning the normal perception of reality and its relationship with our analytical abilities. AS appears to play a significant role in the onset and perpetuation of psychotic disorders. The internal conflict arising from aberrant attributions of significance leads to delusional thoughts, ultimately culminating in the establishment of a self-sustaining psychosis. To examine the differences between psychoses course not associated with cannabis use and those associated with NC-use and SCs-use, in terms of psychotic and dissociative symptoms, AS, global functioning and suicidal ideation. A sample of 62 patients with First Episode Psychosis (FEP) was divided into 3 groups: non cannabis users (non-users, N = 20); NC-users or rather Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) users (THC-users, N = 21); SCs-users, commonly referred to as SPICE-users (SPICE-users, N = 20). Each group underwent assessments at the onset of psychotic symptoms, as well as at the 3 months and 6 months marks, utilizing a range of psychopathological scales. These included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for investigating psychotic symptoms, the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale for assessing overall functioning, the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II) for measuring dissociative symptoms, the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) for evaluating suicidal ideation and the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) scale for gauging AS. SPICE-users showed more severe and persistent positive symptoms, while negative symptoms were mostly represented among non-users. Non-users showed better recovery than SPICE-users in global functioning. All groups showed a decrease in both ASI scores and subscale scores. SPICE-users exhibited higher global AS scores and less improvement in this aspect compared to other groups. This study may help understanding the role of AS in both non-substance-related and substance-induced psychosis. This knowledge may lead clinician to a better diagnosis and identify patient-tailored psychopharmacological treatment.

How to elicit a negative bias? Manipulating contrast and saturation with the facial emotion salience task.

Emotion recognition impairments and a tendency to misclassify neutral faces as negative are common in schizophrenia. A possible explanation for these deficits is aberrant salience attribution. To explore the possibility of salience driven emotion recognition deficits, we implemented a novel facial emotion salience task (FEST). Sixty-six healthy participants with variations in psychometric schizotypy completed the FEST. In the FEST, we manipulated physical salience (FEST-1: contrast, FEST-2: saturation) of emotionally salient (positive, i.e., happy and negative, i.e., fearful) and non-salient (neutral) facial expressions. When salience was high (increased contrast), participants recognized negative facial expressions faster, whereas neutral faces were recognized more slowly and were more frequently misclassified as negative. When salience was low (decreased saturation), positive expressions were recognized more slowly. These measures were not associated with schizotypy in our sample. Our findings show that the match between physical and emotional salience influences emotion recognition and suggest that the FEST is suitable to simulate aberrant salience processing during emotion recognition in healthy participants.

The role of psychotic-like experiences in the association between aberrant salience and anxiety: A psychopathological proposal based on a case-control study.

Aberrant salience (AS) and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) have been proven to be linked. Moreover, anxiety is a key symptom in psychosis-prone subjects and most psychotic patients. We propose a model that attempts to interpret the role of PLEs in the association between AS and anxiety among healthy controls and psychotic patients. Demographic and psychometric data (Aberrant Salience Inventory, Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, Symptom Check List-90-revised) from 163 controls and 44 psychotic patients was collected. Descriptive statistics, correlations, a linear regression model and a mediation analysis with covariates were subsequently performed. AS correlated with more frequent positive PLEs and higher anxiety levels in both patients and controls. However, positive PLEs' frequency mediated the relationship between AS and anxiety only among controls. PLEs linked to AS appear to induce anxiety among the control group but not among psychotic patients. The progressive loss of both novelty and insight, which may, respectively, impair the somatic emotional reactivity to PLEs and the ability to recognize some bodily phenomena as the embodied correlates of anxiety, is seen as the most probable theoretical explanation.