Cited by 1,134Schizophrenia research and treatmentMental Health and PsychiatryNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Dysconnection in schizophrenia: from abnormal synaptic plasticity to failures of self-monitoring

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Stephan, K. E., Friston, K. J., Frith, C. D.·2009·Schizophrenia Bulletin

Abstract

Over the last 2 decades, a large number of neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies of patients with schizophrenia have furnished in vivo evidence for dysconnectivity, ie, abnormal functional integration of brain processes. While the evidence for dysconnectivity in schizophrenia is strong, its etiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, and significance for clinical symptoms are unclear. First, dysconnectivity could result from aberrant wiring of connections during development, from aberrant synaptic plasticity, or from both. Second, it is not clear how schizophrenic symptoms can be understood mechanistically as a consequence of dysconnectivity. Third, if dysconnectivity is the primary pathophysiology, and not just an epiphenomenon, then it should provide a mechanistic explanation for known empirical facts about schizophrenia. This article addresses these 3 issues in the framework of the dysconnection hypothesis. This theory postulates that the core pathology in schizophrenia resides in aberrant N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated synaptic plasticity due to abnormal regulation of NMDARs by neuromodulatory transmitters like dopamine, serotonin, or acetylcholine. We argue that this neurobiological mechanism can explain failures of self-monitoring, leading to a mechanistic explanation for first-rank symptoms as pathognomonic features of schizophrenia, and may provide a basis for future diagnostic classifications with physiologically defined patient subgroups. Finally, we test the explanatory power of our theory against a list of empirical facts about schizophrenia.

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Crossref · 10.1093/schbul/sbn176

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  • Computational psychiatry studies have used conductance-based neural mass models to infer synaptic changes in disorders like schizophrenia from M/EEG recordings.

    “Computational psychiatry studies have done exactly this – for instance, using conductance-based neural mass models to infer synaptic changes in disorders like schizophrenia from M/EEG recordings (25, 26).”

    From Predictive coding and neurocomputational psychiatry: a mechanistic framework for understanding mental disorders (2026) · cites this paper as [25]

    In “From Dysconnectivity to Model-Based Diagnostics” (page unavailable), the paper describes an EEG-based dynamic causal model of synaptic plasticity and work to infer plasticity from EEG/MEG data. It does not identify that model as conductance-based or report using it to infer synaptic changes in schizophrenia patients; it presents clinical use as a future possibility. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Similar Bayesian theories have previously been stated in the context of schizophrenia.

    “It is of interest to note that similar Bayesian theories have previously been stated in the context of schizophrenia (63, 68, 89–92).”
  • This model and variants thereof have already found widespread application to other psychiatric disorders with perceptual aberrations, in particular schizophrenia.

    “This model, and variants thereof, has already found widespread application to other psychiatric disorders with perceptual aberrations, in particular schizophrenia (63, 89, 90, 92, 107).”
  • Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder marked by impaired synaptic connectivity.

    “A prominent and consistent pathophysiological characteristic that has emerged in schizophrenia involves impaired synaptic connectivity (Stephan et al., 2009)”

    From Perineuronal nets and schizophrenia: The importance of neuronal coatings (2014) · cites this paper as Stephan et al., 2009

  • Impaired synaptic connectivity is a prominent and consistent pathophysiological feature of schizophrenia.

    “A prominent and consistent pathophysiological characteristic that has emerged in schizophrenia involves impaired synaptic connectivity (Stephan et al., 2009)”

    From Perineuronal nets and schizophrenia: The importance of neuronal coatings (2014) · cites this paper as Stephan et al., 2009

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [2]Schneider K Klinische Psychopathologie 1950 Stuttgart, Germany Thieme
  2. [3]Wernicke C Grundrisse der Psychiatrie 1906 Leipzig, Germany Thieme

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Authors
Stephan, K. E., Friston, K. J., & Frith, C. D.
Affiliations
Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
Corresponding author
Stephan, K. E.
Venue
Schizophrenia Bulletin
Published
2009-03-30
Volume
35
Issue
3
Pages
509-527
ISSN
  • 0586-7614 (ISSN-L)
  • 1745-1701
OpenAlex
W2095651675
Cited by
1,134
References
233
Citations by year
2026: 45 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 54 · 2021: 81 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 59 · 2018: 80 · 2017: 91 · 2016: 87 · 2015: 79 · 2014: 63 · 2013: 101 · 2012: 67
FWCI
7.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Schizophrenia Bulletin (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
Funders
Wellcome Trust (056750, 088130)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
schizophrenia, dysconnectivity
MeSH terms
Acetylcholine, Awareness, Brain, Delusions, Dopamine, Electroencephalography, Hallucinations, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nerve Net, Neuronal Plasticity, Reality Testing, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenic Psychology, Serotonin, Synapses, Magnetoencephalography, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate

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