Neuroimaging of Emotion Processing in Schizophrenia

Neuroimaging research has delineated a network of limbic and prefrontal regions whose coordinated activity underpins the recognition and appraisal of emotional stimuli. In schizophrenia, this circuit exhibits both hypo- and hyper-responsivity, manifesting as impaired threat detection, misattribution of neutral expressions and disrupted emotion regulation. Key nodes include the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and fusiform gyrus, whose functional connectivity is altered at both rest and during task performance. Computational modelling and pharmacological manipulations have further highlighted the role of GABAergic and glutamatergic modulation in shaping network dynamics. Together, these findings offer insight into the neural substrates of social withdrawal, paranoia and affective blunting, and inform efforts to develop biomarkers and tailored interventions for emotion-processing deficits in schizophrenia.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Functional connectivity analyses in drug-naïve, first-episode schizophrenia have revealed distinct patterns of corticolimbic dysconnectivity. One study employed spectral dynamic causal modelling to demonstrate reduced amygdala–dorsal ACC coupling alongside diminished amygdala–DLPFC interactions, contrasted with elevated hippocampal–prefrontal connectivity. These alterations differentiated schizophrenia from major depressive disorder and achieved high classification accuracy, suggesting their potential as early diagnostic markers. The work emphasises the centrality of amygdala–prefrontal circuits in the emergence of psychotic symptoms and supports targeted modulation of these pathways.

Neuroimaging of Emotion Processing in Schizophrenia publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in neuroimaging of emotion processing in schizophrenia across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): A non-invasive imaging technique that detects blood oxygenation changes linked to neuronal activity.

Functional connectivity: Statistical correlation of activity between distinct brain regions, indicating network interactions.

Amygdala: A limbic structure central to threat detection and emotional salience attribution.

Prefrontal cortex (PFC): Frontal lobe region involved in cognitive control, emotion regulation and decision-making.

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC): Medial frontal structure implicated in salience monitoring, conflict resolution and affective regulation.

References

1. Alprazolam modulates persistence energy during emotion processing in first-degree relatives of individuals with schizophrenia: a network control study. Molecular Psychiatry (2023).
2. Blunted brain responses to neutral faces in healthy first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia: an image-based fMRI meta-analysis. Schizophrenia (2024).
3. Anterior cingulate cortex-related connectivity in first-episode schizophrenia: a spectral dynamic causal modeling study with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2015).
4. Similarities and differences of functional connectivity in drug-naïve, first-episode adolescent and young adult with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. Scientific Reports (2017).
5. Neural correlates of emotional processing in psychosis risk and onset – A systematic review and meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (2021).