Fig. 1: Shallow attractors and disorganized cognitive maps in Schizophrenia.

a Hypothetical neural state space representing the stability of distinct ensemble activity patterns (only two state dimensions, X and Y, are shown for simplicity). In controls, attractors (valleys) representing distinct contexts are stable and well-separated by relatively low stability states (hills). This stability is hypothesized to be reduced in Schizophrenia, whereby attractors for distinct contexts are relatively shallower. b A hypothetical instantiation of shallow attractors in Hippocampal cognitive mapping. In controls, place cell activity during learning is replayed during Sharp Wave Ripples (SWRs) that occur at rest. Sequences of place cell activity from different contexts are replayed separately. This reflects deep attractors, requiring greater jumps in energy barriers to move between attractors of distinct memories. In Schizophrenia, place cell activity during learning is replayed during SWRs, however, replay is disordered. This may arise due to shallow attractors, in which energy barriers are smaller and easier to cross, making it easier to switch between memories of unrelated contexts during retrieval and hence giving rise to disordered thought.