The research team, led by Stanford Medicine, analyzed brain scans from patients with and without psychosis, focusing on the anterior insula and ventral striatum. These brain regions play crucial roles in the salience network and reward prediction, respectively, and were found to contribute significantly to psychosis in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.
Anterior Insula and Ventral Striatum Involvement in Psychosis
The anterior insula and ventral striatum are known to be involved in the salience network and reward prediction, respectively. The researchers found that these brain regions contributed significantly to the development of psychosis in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.
22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome and Psychosis
22q11.2 deletion syndrome is a genetic disorder that can lead to a range of physical and cognitive impairments, including an increased risk of developing psychosis. The researchers focused their study on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the development of psychosis in these patients.