Advisory Committee Chair
Junghee Lee
Advisory Committee Members
Adrienne Lahti
David Knight
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
1-1-2025
Degree Name by School
Master of Science (MS) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Attentional deficits are a well-established feature of schizophrenia, impacting various functional domains. Previous research suggested altered connectivity within attention networks may underlie these deficits, but few studies have examined how these net-works dynamically interact during different types of attention processes. In this study, we investigated functional connectivity patterns during attentional orienting and reori-enting to social and nonsocial cues in 25 individuals with schizophrenia and 25 controls. Participants completed a modified Posner spatial cueing task with both social (eyes) and nonsocial (arrows) cues during fMRI scanning. Using generalized psychophysiological interaction analysis with the left lateral occipital cortex (LOC) as a seed region—selected based on its consistent activation across conditions—we examined task-specific changes in functional connectivity. Behaviorally, individuals with schizophre-nia showed overall slower reaction times but demonstrated higher accuracy specifically during social trials compared to controls. During nonsocial orienting, controls showed stronger connectivity between the LOC and insular cortex/precentral gyrus, along with weaker connectivity with precuneus cortex and paracingulate gyrus, while individuals with schizophrenia showed no significant connectivity patterns. During social reorient-ing, controls demonstrated stronger connectivity between the LOC and regions includ-ing the middle temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and insular cortex, while individuals with schizophrenia showed no significant connectivity changes. Additionally, during nonsocial reorienting, individuals with schizophrenia showed weaker connectivity be-tween the LOC and fusiform gyrus. These findings suggest disrupted functional integra-tion of attention networks in schizophrenia across both orienting and reorienting pro-cesses, with particularly pronounced alterations in network connectivity during social attention conditions.
Recommended Citation
Freeman, Hyun, "Context-Dependent Functional Connectivity During Attention Orienting And Reorienting: Comparing Individuals With Schizophrenia And Controls" (2025). All ETDs from UAB. 6837.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/6837
Comments
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