Towards a Unified Account of Aberrant Salience in Psychosis: Proximate and Evolutionary Mechanisms

IF 1.4 Q3 PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY Evolutionary Psychological Science Pub Date : 2024-02-14 DOI:10.1007/s40806-024-00384-5

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Abstract

The “Aberrant Salience Hypothesis” (ASH) is arguably the pre-eminent proximate, theoretical model of psychosis in the current literature. As well as its consilience with phenomenological accounts, since its initial proposal, subsequent neuroscientific work has updated its empirical basis by demonstrating a functionally distinct large-scale brain network known as the “salience network” (SN), and crucially, demonstrated SN dysregulation in psychosis. Here, we elaborate upon this hypothesis through the application of evolutionary thinking, structured upon Tinbergen’s 4 questions. After delineating how the mechanism proposed by the ASH has been bolstered by subsequent neuroscientific advances, the ontogeny of psychosis is then considered. A critical aetiological role is attributed to toxic stress resulting from complex interactions between factors including urban living, migrant-status, male-sex, low socioeconomic status, subjective social status, and adverse childhood experiences. Our model, the modified ASH (“MASH”), seeks to provide a crucial bridge to the consideration of the evolutionary roots of psychosis. Environmental mismatch is implicated as the key evolutionary process. The model helps resolve the apparent puzzle of the persistence of psychosis, despite its detrimental effect on fitness. The adaptive significance of what shall be termed the “Salience Evaluation System” in humans is discussed, with particular reference to the uniquely complex human social environment. This provides an explanation for a further puzzle: that psychosis appears to be a human, species-specific phenomenon. Finally, we offer a number of testable predictions for future research.

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实现对精神病中异常显著性的统一解释：近因和进化机制

摘要 "异常突出假说"（ASH）可以说是目前文献中最杰出的精神病近似理论模型。自其最初提出以来，后续的神经科学工作更新了其经验基础，证明了一个功能独特的大规模大脑网络，即 "显著性网络"（SN），更重要的是，证明了精神病患者的SN失调。在此，我们以丁伯根的 4 个问题为基础，运用进化论的思维方式对这一假说进行阐述。在阐述了 ASH 所提出的机制是如何通过随后的神经科学进展而得到支持之后，我们将对精神病的本体论进行研究。包括城市生活、移民身份、男性-性别、低社会经济地位、主观社会地位和不良童年经历在内的各种因素之间复杂的相互作用所产生的毒性压力被认为是一个关键的致病因素。我们的改良 ASH 模型（"MASH"）旨在为考虑精神病的进化根源提供一座重要的桥梁。环境不匹配被认为是关键的进化过程。该模型有助于解决精神病持续存在的明显谜题，尽管它对人的健康状况有不利影响。该模型讨论了人类 "显著性评估系统 "的适应意义，特别提到了人类独特的复杂社会环境。这为另一个谜团提供了解释：精神病似乎是人类特有的物种现象。最后，我们为未来的研究提出了一些可检验的预测。

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来源期刊

Evolutionary Psychological Science Psychology-Social Psychology

CiteScore

2.60

自引率

13.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： Evolutionary Psychological Science is an international, interdisciplinary journal that publishes empirical research, theoretical contributions, literature reviews, and commentaries addressing human evolved psychology and behavior. The Journal especially welcomes submissions on non-humans that inform human psychology and behavior, as well as submissions that address clinical implications and applications of an evolutionary perspective. The Journal is informed by all the social and life sciences, including anthropology, biology, criminology, law, medicine, philosophy, political science, and the humanities, and welcomes contributions from these and related fields that contribute to the understanding of human evolved psychology and behavior. Submissions should not exceed 10,000 words, all inclusive.