Aberrant Salience Research Articles

The Temporality of Aberrant Salience and Schizophrenia.

The Temporality of Aberrant Salience and Schizophrenia.

Aberrant salience correlates with psychotic dimensions in outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

BackgroundAberrant salience is a well-known construct associated with the development and maintenance of psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia. However, only a few studies have investigated aberrance salience as a trait, with no study investigating the association between the five aberrant salience domains and psychotic symptoms. We aimed to explore the role of aberrant salience and its domains on psychotic dimensions in both clinically remitted and non-remitted patients.MethodsA sample of 102 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders was divided according to the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) remission criteria into two groups: remitted and non-remitted. Differences regarding psychotic symptomatology assessed by the PANSS and aberrant salience measured by the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) were explored. Finally, a correlation analysis between the PANSS and the ASI was run.ResultsSignificantly higher ASI scores were evident among non-remitted patients. Positive symptoms (i.e. delusions, conceptual disorganization, and hallucinatory behaviour) and general psychopathology (i.e. postural mannerisms, unusual thought content) were correlated to the aberrant salience subscales ‘sharpening of senses’, ‘heightened emotionality’ and ‘heightened cognition’ and with the ASI total score. Significant correlations emerged between negative symptoms (blunted affect and social withdrawal) and ‘heightened cognition'. Finally, lack of spontaneity of conversation was related to the subscales ‘heightened emotionality’ and ‘heightened cognition’, as well as to the ASI total score.ConclusionsThese preliminary results support the hypothesis of an association between aberrant salience and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia. Further research is needed, especially into the mechanisms underlying salience processing, in addition to social and environmental factors and cognitive variables.

Aberrant Salience and Disorganized Symptoms as Mediators of Psychosis.

IntroductionIdeas of reference (IR) are frequent in psychopathology, mainly in psychotic disorders. The frequency of IR and preoccupation about them are related to the psychotic dimension, and to a lesser extent, to negative or emotional disorganized dimensions. Aberrant salience (AS), has been proposed as an indicator of the onset of psychosis, particularly of schizophrenia. This study analyzed the mediating role of AS, disorganized symptoms and preoccupation about IR in the relationship between IR and the psychotic dimension.MethodThe sample consisted of 330 participants (116 university students and 214 clinically active patients), 62.4% of whom were women aged 18–79. The Referential Thinking Scale, the Aberrant Salience Inventory, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale were administered.ResultsEvidence of a partial mediation model showed that the relationships between IR and the psychotic dimension were mediated jointly by AS and the disorganized dimension, and preoccupation about IR no longer had a role. This relationship was significantly influenced by participant age. The variables in the model explained 54.16% of the variance.ConclusionThe model proposed enabled a set of vulnerabilities (unusual thought content) to be predicted that could lead to a high-risk general pathological state and proneness to psychosis in particular. These findings are discussed with regard to early detection and prevention of psychosis.

Association between psychosocial interventions and aberrant salience in adolescents with early psychosis: A follow-up study.

Although aberrant salience (AS) is a putative vulnerability factor in schizophrenia, empirical research on AS in early stages of psychosis is currently relatively scarce (especially as regards on its longitudinal course and treatment response in adolescence). The aim of the present study was to longitudinally monitor the stability of AS along a 1‐year follow‐up period in an Italian population of community help‐seeking adolescents with First Episode Psychosis (FEP) or at Ultra‐High Risk (UHR) of psychosis and to examine any relevant association of AS with specific treatment components of a specialized “Early Intervention in Psychosis” (EIP) program across the 1 year of follow‐up.Participants (38 FEP, 42 UHR), aged 13–18 years, completed the Comprehensive Assessment of At‐Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) both at baseline and at the end of the follow‐up period. Spearman's correlations between AS scores and specific EIP treatment components were performed.After the 1 year of follow‐up, both FEP and UHR adolescents showed a statistically significant reduction in AS levels. In FEP patients, this was correlated to the number of psychoeducational sessions provided to their family members. In the UHR subgroup, this AS decrease was associated with the number of individual Cognitive‐Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sessions directly offered to help‐seeking adolescents.AS is relevant both in FEP and UHR adolescents already at the enrollment in specialized EIP programs. However, its longitudinal levels decrease over time, together with the delivery of specific psychosocial EIP interventions.

Aberrant salience relationship with first rank symptoms

BackgroundAberrant salience is the incorrect assignment of salience, significance, or value to different innocuous stimuli that might precede the onset of psychotic symptoms. The present study aimed to perform a preliminary evaluation of potentially different correlations between the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) score and dimensional or categorical diagnostic approaches.Methods168 adult outpatients with a current psychiatric diagnosis were consecutively enrolled. Patients were evaluated using different psychometric scales. ASI was used to evaluate aberrant salience, and to evaluate the association between ASI scores and first rank symptoms (FRS), and/or with a psychiatric diagnosis. Principal dichotomic clusters of ASI were identified using the Chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) method.ResultsCurrent (16.76 ± 6.02 vs 13.37 ± 5.76; p = 0.001), lifetime (15.74 ± 6.08 vs 13.16 ± 5.74; p = 0.005) and past (15.75 ± 6.01 vs 13.33 ± 5.80; p = 0.009) FRS were the main clusters dichotomizing ASI. The average ASI score did not significantly differ among patients with different diagnoses.ConclusionsASI could be used as a tool to identify psychopathological dimensions, rather than the categorical diagnoses, in the schizophrenic spectrum.

Epistatic interactions of NRG1 and ERBB4 on antipsychotic treatment response in first-episode schizophrenia patients

Aberrant salience (AS) is considered as a predisposing factor in early psychosis. Although it has been frequently examined in the general population as a measure of vulnerability to psychotic disorder, empirical evidence on AS in prodromal phases of psychosis is still relatively scarce. Thus, the aims of this research were (1) to investigate any significant association of AS with functioning, psychopathology and treatment components of an “early intervention in psychosis” program in a sample of young community help-seekers at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) of psychosis along a 1-year follow-up period, and (2) to longitudinally monitor the stability of AS across the 1 year of follow-up. Participants (87 UHR), aged 13–35 years, completed the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and the brief version of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-B) at baseline and after the 1 year of follow-up. Spearman correlation analyses among psychopathological parameters and specialized treatment components were performed. A multiple linear regression analysis was also carried out. After a 1-year follow-up period, UHR subjects had a statistically relevant decrease in ASI total scores. This was significantly related to the number of individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions and the number of family psychoeducational sessions offered to UHR participants and their family members during the same 12-month period. In conclusion, AS is clinically relevant in UHR individuals. However, it seems to improve over time along with the delivery of tailored, specialized psychosocial interventions for early psychosis.

Toward an expanded and personalized approach to coordinated specialty care in early course psychoses

Aberrant salience (AS) is considered as a predisposing factor in early psychosis. Although it has been frequently examined in the general population as a measure of vulnerability to psychotic disorder, empirical evidence on AS in prodromal phases of psychosis is still relatively scarce. Thus, the aims of this research were (1) to investigate any significant association of AS with functioning, psychopathology and treatment components of an “early intervention in psychosis” program in a sample of young community help-seekers at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) of psychosis along a 1-year follow-up period, and (2) to longitudinally monitor the stability of AS across the 1 year of follow-up. Participants (87 UHR), aged 13–35 years, completed the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and the brief version of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-B) at baseline and after the 1 year of follow-up. Spearman correlation analyses among psychopathological parameters and specialized treatment components were performed. A multiple linear regression analysis was also carried out. After a 1-year follow-up period, UHR subjects had a statistically relevant decrease in ASI total scores. This was significantly related to the number of individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions and the number of family psychoeducational sessions offered to UHR participants and their family members during the same 12-month period. In conclusion, AS is clinically relevant in UHR individuals. However, it seems to improve over time along with the delivery of tailored, specialized psychosocial interventions for early psychosis.

Locus of Control behavior in ultra-high risk patients.

The term "Locus of Control" has been defined by Rotter (1954) as a general attitude regarding the nature of the causal relationship between one's behavior and its consequences. External Locus of Control Behavior represents an important factor of psychopathological vulnerability and can increase people's vulnerability to psychosis. Using the Craig Scale (1984), we investigated the Locus of Control Behavior in a sample of patients at high risk of psychosis compared to schizophrenia patients and mood disorder patients. Furthermore, we investigated the possible correlation between an external Locus of Control and psychopathological dimensions such as aberrant salience, and attenuated positive and negative symptoms.

Examining subjective experience of aberrant salience in young individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis: A 1-year longitudinal study

Aberrant salience (AS) is considered as a predisposing factor in early psychosis. Although it has been frequently examined in the general population as a measure of vulnerability to psychotic disorder, empirical evidence on AS in prodromal phases of psychosis is still relatively scarce. Thus, the aims of this research were (1) to investigate any significant association of AS with functioning, psychopathology and treatment components of an “early intervention in psychosis” program in a sample of young community help-seekers at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) of psychosis along a 1-year follow-up period, and (2) to longitudinally monitor the stability of AS across the 1 year of follow-up. Participants (87 UHR), aged 13–35 years, completed the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and the brief version of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-B) at baseline and after the 1 year of follow-up. Spearman correlation analyses among psychopathological parameters and specialized treatment components were performed. A multiple linear regression analysis was also carried out. After a 1-year follow-up period, UHR subjects had a statistically relevant decrease in ASI total scores. This was significantly related to the number of individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions and the number of family psychoeducational sessions offered to UHR participants and their family members during the same 12-month period. In conclusion, AS is clinically relevant in UHR individuals. However, it seems to improve over time along with the delivery of tailored, specialized psychosocial interventions for early psychosis.

Latent inhibition, aberrant salience, and schizotypy traits in cannabis users

Aberrant salience processing may underlie the link between cannabis and psychosis, as posited in individuals with schizophrenia or high schizotypy. We investigated the relative effects of cannabis use, schizotypy status, and self-reported aberrant salience experiences on salience processing, measured using a latent inhibition (LI) task (Granger et al., 2016), in a non-clinical population.A university sample of 346 participants completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) the modified Cannabis Experience Questionnaire (CEQmv) and the LI task. Regression models and parallel (Bayesian and frequentist) t-tests or ANOVA (or non-parametric equivalents) examined differences in LI based on lifetime or current cannabis use (frequent use during previous year), as well as frequency of use. Mann-Whitney U tests assessed differences in SPQ and ASI scores based on current cannabis use.Neither lifetime nor current cannabis use was associated with significant change in LI scores. Current cannabis use was associated with both higher ‘Disorganised’ and ‘Cognitive-perceptual’ SPQ dimension scores and higher total and sub-scale ASI scores. No association was observed between LI score and SPQ total and dimension scores. Higher scores on ‘Senses sharpening’ and the ‘Heightened cognition’ ASI subscales predicted decreased LI scores. These data support previous findings of no association between cannabis use and abnormality in other associative learning tasks in young non-clinical populations, and elaborate the previously demonstrated association between self-reported cannabis use, schizotypy and aberrant salience. The association between dimensions of ASI and LI performance suggests this task may have potential as an experimental measure of aberrant salience.

What is Measured as Aberrant Salience?

What is Measured as Aberrant Salience?

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Background:Primary delusions are out of the blue experiences which cannot be understood on the basis of previous patient experiences. Studies are consistent with neurobiological hypothesis that aberrant salience attribution to stimuli is the pathology behind primary delusion. Its significance in course and prognosis needs further systematic evaluation.Aim-To report a case of 16 year old female who had presented with primary delusion.METHOD-Patient was evaluated as in patient. She had a bad dream following which she started believing that she is victim of sexual assault which had happened at age 8. Inspite of her parents disproving her, she continued to believe so. She was brought for admission following deliberate self harm.On examination, Primary - delusional memory was elicited along with second person auditory hallucination & visual hallucination. Imaging and blood investigations were within normal limits. Patient was diagnosed with Unspecified non-organic psychosis and treated with Olanzapine . Later diagnosis was revised to Paranoid Schizophrenia continuous course upon onset of passivity delusions.DISCUSSIONPrimary delusions are very rarely elicited in patients with schizophrenia often due to the long course, causing difficulty in recall. This case throws light in to psychodynamic aspects of delusion.

Supplemental Material for Momentary Assessment of Aberrant Salience, Anomalous Self-Experiences, and Psychotic-Like Experiences

Supplemental Material for Momentary Assessment of Aberrant Salience, Anomalous Self-Experiences, and Psychotic-Like Experiences

Cannabis Use, Schizotypy and Kamin Blocking Performance

Cannabis use has been associated with increased risk for a first episode of psychosis and inappropriate assignment of salience to extraneous stimuli has been proposed as a mechanism underlying this association. Psychosis-prone (especially schizotypal) personality traits are associated with deficits in associative learning tasks that measure salience allocation. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between history of cannabis use and Kamin blocking (KB), a form of selective associative learning, in a non-clinical sample. Additionally, KB was examined in relation to self-reported schizotypy and aberrant salience scale profiles. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 307 healthy participants with no previous psychiatric or neurological history. Participants were recruited and tested using the Testable Minds behavioural testing platform. KB was calculated using Oades' “mouse in the house task”, performance of which is disrupted in schizophrenia patients. Schizotypy was measured using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), and the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) was used to assess self-reported unusual or inappropriate salience. The modified Cannabis Experience Questionnaire (CEQm) was used to collect detailed history of use of cannabis and other recreational drugs. Regression models and Bayesian t-tests or ANOVA (or non-parametric equivalents) examined differences in KB based on lifetime or current cannabis use (frequent use during previous year), as well as frequency of use among those who had previously used cannabis. Neither lifetime nor current cannabis use was associated with any significant change in total or trial-specific KB scores. Current cannabis use was associated with higher Disorganised SPQ dimension scores and higher total and sub-scale values for the ASI. A modest positive association was observed between total KB score and Disorganised SPQ dimension scores, but no relationships were found between KB and other SPQ measures. Higher scores on “Senses Sharpening” ASI sub-scale predicted decreased KB score only in participants who have not engaged in recent cannabis use. These results are discussed in the context of our understanding of the effects of long-term cannabis exposure on salience attribution, as well as inconsistencies in the literature with respect to both the relationship between KB and schizotypy and the measurement of KB associative learning phenomena.

Aberrant salience in first-episode psychosis: Longitudinal stability and treatment-response.

Aberrant salience (AS) is considered a putative predisposing factor for the onset of psychosis. However, despite several studies conducted in the general population, research in early psychosis is still relatively scarce. The main purposes of this study were to investigate any relevant correlation of AS with functioning and psychopathology in young patients with first episode psychosis (FEP), and to analyse the longitudinal stability of AS across a 1year follow-up period. All the participants (139 FEP), aged 13-35 years, completed the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS), and the Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Spearman correlation analysis among psychopathological parameters were performed both at baseline and after the 1 year of follow-up. Across the follow-up, FEP patients showed a significant decrease in the ASI total score. This reduction was specifically associated with the number of individual cognitive-behavioural therapy sessions offered to FEP individuals in the same time period (and not with antipsychotic dose at baseline). AS is clinically significant in FEP patients. However, it tends to ameliorate over time together with the delivery of specialized, person-tailored FEP treatments within a specific "Early Intervention in Psychosis" protocol.

Delusional mood and affection

ABSTRACT Delusional mood is a well-recognized psychological state, often present in the prodromal stage of schizophrenia. Various phenomenological psychopathologists have proposed that delusional mood may not only precede but also contribute to the later formation of schizophrenic delusion. Hence, understanding experiential abnormalities involved with the delusional mood have been considered central for the understanding of schizophrenic delusion. Ranging from traditional and contemporary phenomenological and neurobiological accounts, it has been often mentioned that the peculiar affective saliency of the world experience may underpin the emergence of delusional mood. In this paper, I employ Edmund Husserl’s account of affection and affective syntheses to clarify the nature of such an experience and illuminate how this experiential abnormality contributes to the emergence of the delusional mood. I conclude by relating the phenomenological account I advance here with a neurobiological account of aberrant salience hypothesis and chart out a possible way toward mutual enlightenment for both approaches.

The role of aberrant salience in the association between cannabis use frequency and psychotic experiences among racial and ethnic minoritized youth

Prior studies have shown cannabis use is correlated with psychotic symptoms, but few have explored potential underlying mechanisms. The present study examined whether aberrant salience explains the association between cannabis use frequency and psychotic experiences (PE) while accounting for the mediating role of anxiety in this association. A US urban undergraduate sample of 816 racial and ethnic minorities contributed data used in linear regression models to determine associations between recent (3 months) cannabis use frequency, aberrant salience, anxiety, positive subscale Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ) items, and distressing positive PQ items. Results from hierarchical linear regression and mediation models using Hayes PROCESS application indicated the association between cannabis use frequency and PE was significantly explained by higher aberrant salience and anxiety. Furthermore, anxiety's indirect association with cannabis use frequency and PE significantly occurred through aberrant salience's indirect association with cannabis use frequency and PE (i.e., serial mediation). A similar pattern emerged for distressing PE. We also found earlier age of cannabis use onset (age 12–14) was associated with a higher number of PE and distressing PE and that this was partially explained by higher aberrant salience. Anxiety's indirect association between earlier age of onset and PE/distressing PE only occurred through aberrant salience (i.e., serial mediation). Aberrant salience may be the part of psychosis proneness most directly connected to why earlier initiation of cannabis use is a risk factor for psychotic disorders. This should be explored further in future longitudinal work with clinical high-risk populations and among minoritized youth.

Neural Correlates of Aberrant Salience and Source Monitoring in Schizophrenia and At-Risk Mental States-A Systematic Review of fMRI Studies.

Cognitive biases are an important factor contributing to the development and symptom severity of psychosis. Despite the fact that various cognitive biases are contributing to psychosis, they are rarely investigated together. In the current systematic review, we aimed at investigating specific and shared functional neural correlates of two important cognitive biases: aberrant salience and source monitoring. We conducted a systematic search of fMRI studies of said cognitive biases. Eight studies on aberrant salience and eleven studies on source monitoring were included in the review. We critically discussed behavioural and neuroimaging findings concerning cognitive biases. Various brain regions are associated with aberrant salience and source monitoring in individuals with schizophrenia and the risk of psychosis. The ventral striatum and insula contribute to aberrant salience. The medial prefrontal cortex, superior and middle temporal gyrus contribute to source monitoring. The anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus contribute to both cognitive biases, constituting a neural overlap. Our review indicates that aberrant salience and source monitoring may share neural mechanisms, suggesting their joint role in producing disrupted external attributions of perceptual and cognitive experiences, thus elucidating their role in positive symptoms of psychosis. Account bridging mechanisms of these two biases is discussed. Further studies are warranted.

The nomological network of anomalous self-experiences and schizotypal personality in a nonclinical sample.

Anomalous self-experiences (ASEs) are subjective disturbances in the experience of the self and are common among people with psychotic-spectrum disorders. Previous research has shown that ASEs are highly correlated but distinct from other aspects of schizotypal personality. The current study examined the nomological network of ASEs by examining their relations with self-esteem, self-concept clarity, self-consciousness, aberrant salience, dissociation, and Big 5 personality characteristics with and without removing shared variance with schizotypal personality. Using structural equation modeling, ASEs were shown to be associated with decreased self-concept clarity, global self-esteem, self-competence, and self-liking, but higher public and private self-consciousness. ASEs were also associated with increased aberrant salience, dissociation, and maladaptive personality traits including low agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion but increased neuroticism. After removing shared variance with schizotypal personality, ASEs were still associated with self-concept clarity and self-esteem variables, but not with self-consciousness. The relations with aberrant salience, dissociation, and maladaptive personality remained significant (with the exception of extraversion). Cognitive-perceptual schizotypal personality displayed similar relations with self-processing, aberrant salience, dissociation, and maladaptive personality traits as anomalous self-experiences. However, after removing shared variance with anomalous self-experiences, cognitive-perceptual schizotypal personality was positively associated with self-esteem and not associated with self-consciousness or dissociation. Cognitive-perceptual schizotypy was positively associated with conscientiousness and extraversion, and negatively associated with neuroticism. Taken together, these results provide more support for the nomological network of ASEs and suggest that many of the observed relations between schizotypy and these variables may be driven by anomalous self-experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Specific aspects of aberrant salience: comparison between patients with or without psychosis and healthy participants

Specific aspects of aberrant salience: comparison between patients with or without psychosis and healthy participants