Social victimization, default mode network connectivity, and psychotic-like experiences in adolescents

Schizophr Res. 2024 Feb:264:462-470. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.01.019. Epub 2024 Jan 23.

Abstract

Social victimization (SV) and altered neural connectivity have been associated with each other and psychotic-like experiences (PLE). However, research has not directly examined the associations between these variables, which may speak to mechanisms of psychosis-risk. Here, we utilized two-year follow-up data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study to test whether SV increases PLE through two neural networks mediating socio-affective processes: the default mode (DMN) and salience networks (SAN). We find that a latent SV factor was significantly associated with PLE outcomes. Simultaneous mediation analyses indicated that the DMN partially mediated the SV-PLE association while the SAN did not. Further, multigroup testing found that while Black and Hispanic adolescents experienced SV differently than their White peers, the DMN similarly partially mediated the effect of SV on PLE for these racial groups. These cross-sectional results highlight the importance of SV and its potential impact on social cognitive neural networks for psychosis risk.

Keywords: Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study; Peer victimization; Race and ethnicity; Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging; Structural equation modeling.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain Mapping
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Default Mode Network*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Neural Pathways / diagnostic imaging
  • Psychotic Disorders* / diagnostic imaging