The Association among Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity, Mentalization, and Psychopathology in a Nonclinical Sample: An eLORETA Study

Abstract

Aims: We investigated default mode network (DMN) electroencephalography (EEG) functional connectivity differences between individuals with self-reported high mentalization capability and low psychopathological symptoms, versus participants with mentalization impairments and high psychopathological symptoms. Methods: Forty-nine students (35 women) with a mean age of 22.92 ± 2.53 years were administered the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. Five minutes of EEG during resting state were also recorded for each participant. DMN functional connectivity analyses were conducted by means of the exact Low Resolution Electric Tomography software (eLORETA). Results: Compared to the individuals with high mentalization capability and lower self-reported psychopathological symptoms, participants with mentalization impairments and high psychopathological symptoms showed a decrease of EEG beta connectivity between: (i) the right and left medial frontal lobe, and (ii) the left medial frontal lobe and the right anterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, while MZQ total score was positively associated with DMN network connections (i.e., right and left medial frontal lobes), several psychopathological symptoms (i.e., interpersonal sensitivity, depression, and psychoticism) were negatively associated with DMN connectivity. Conclusion: Our results may reflect a top-down emotion regulation deficit which is associated with both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems.

Mentalization Impairment Is Associated with Problematic Alcohol Use in a Sample of Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In the original validation study [19], satisfactory psychometric properties (e.g., adequate internal consistency) and a four-factor solution were reported: (i) refusing self-reflection (i.e., avoidance of thinking about inner states), (ii) emotional awareness (i.e., the lack of perceiving and differentiating one's own inner states), (iii) psychic equivalence mode (i.e., the tendency to equate inner mental states and outer reality so that everything appears to be real), and (iv) regulation of affect (i.e., the inability to modulate emotions). Furthermore, the MZQ total scores were found [21] to be positively related with electro-cortical connectivity in the default mode network (i.e., a brain network associated with mentalization capability). The Cronbach's alpha in the present sample was 0.85 for the total score.…”

Activating attachment memories affects default mode network in a non-clinical sample with perceived dysfunctional parenting: An EEG functional connectivity study

“…According to previous EEG connectivity studies [29,30,40,60], in order to evaluate functional connectivity in the DMN, 12 Regions of Interest (ROIs) were selected (Figure 1) and the 'single nearest voxel' option (i.e., each ROI consisted of a single voxel, the closest to each seed) was chosen (detailed DMN Montreal Neurological Institute and Talairach coordinates can be found in [40]). Briefly, the "ROI-maker#2 method" available in the eLORETA software has been selected and, starting from 42 Brodmann Areas (BAs) in each hemisphere provided by the software [61], 12 ROIs were defined according Thatcher et al [58].…”

“…Under a neurobiological point of view it has been supposed that the default mode network (DMN), a crucial large scale network for brain functional integration [25][26][27], plays an important role in those psychological functions altered by dysfunctional parenting [28][29][30][31]. Consistently, the DMN and its subcomponents alterations are frequently reported in people with dysfunctional parenting and other forms of child maltreatment [8,12].…”

Altered brain network topology related to working memory in internet addiction

“…The 84 commonly used Brodmann areas were chosen as regions of interests (ROIs) for topological analysis. The eLORETA tomography has been validated in several previous EEG studies (Elmer et al, 2017;Farina, Marca, Maestoso, Amoroso, & Imperatori, 2018;Imperatori et al, 2015). EEG source connectivity analysis was performed using eLORETA software package (http://www.uzh.ch/keyinst/ loreta.htm).…”

“…Subsequently, lagged phase synchronization (LPS) method was employed for the estimation of cortical functional connectivity (FC) between all pairs of ROIs. This algorithm has been widely used to assess EEG FC (Adebimpe, Aarabi, Bourel-Ponchel, Mahmoudzadeh, & Wallois, 2016; Farina, Marca, Maestoso, Amoroso, & Imperatori, 2018;Hata et al, 2016), and is considered to include only physiological connectivity information (Hata et al, 2016) and be less sensitive than other techniques to physiological signals including artifacts and volume conduction effect (Pascual-Marqui et al, 2011;Stam, Nolte, & Daffertshofer, 2010). For each subject, an 84 3 84 FC matrix was obtained over the all artifact-free segments in five frequency bands.…”