Positive schizotypy and motor impulsivity correlate with response aberrations in ventral attention network during inhibitory control

Abstract

Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Inhibitory control (IC) aberrations are present in various psychopathologies, including schizophrenia spectrum and personality disorders, especially in association with antisocial or violent behaviour.

We investigated behavioural and neural associations between IC and psychopathology-related traits of schizotypy [Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE)], psychopathy [Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM)], and impulsivity [Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11)], using a novel Go/No-Go Task (GNG) featuring human avatars in 78 healthy adults (25 males, 53 females; mean age = 25.96 years, SD = 9.85) and whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a separate sample of 22 right-handed healthy individuals (7 males, 15 females; mean age = 24.13 years, SD = 5.40).

Behaviourally, O-LIFE Impulsive Nonconformity (impulsive, anti-social, and eccentric behaviour) significantly predicted 16% of variance in false alarms (FAs). O-LIFE Unusual Experiences (positive schizotypy) and BIS-11 Motor Impulsivity predicted 15% of d prime (d’) (sensitivity index) for the fastest (400ms) GNG trials. When examined using fMRI, higher BIS-11 Motor Impulsivity uniquely, and also together with Unusual Experiences, was associated with lower activity in the left lingual gyrus during successful inhibition (correct No-Go over baseline). Additionally, higher Impulsive Nonconformity was associated with lower activity in the caudate nucleus and anterior cingulate during No-Go compared to Go stimuli reactions.

Positive schizotypy, motor, and antisocial-schizotypal impulsivity correlate with some common but mostly distinct neural activation patterns during response inhibition in areas within or associated with the ventral attention network.