Temporal imprecision of the self in drug-free psychosis: Abnormal infraslow phase dynamics and brain complexity
Abstract
Self-disturbance is a core feature of schizophrenia (SCZ) and may emerge during the prodromal phase. Temporal imprecision has recently been proposed as a core neural mechanism in schizophrenia, primarily demonstrated in faster EEG frequency ranges. Whether such imprecision extends to infraslow brain dynamics in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and relates to self-disturbance in early psychosis remains unknown. Here, we examined resting-state fMRI data from drug-free early psychosis patients (EP drug-free, n = 31, scanned before and after medication) and 31 healthy controls (HC). Brain dynamics were quantified using sample entropy (SampEn) and instantaneous peak frequency (PF) in regions associated with different layers of self-processing (interoceptive, exteroceptive, and mental). Compared to controls, EP drug-free showed higher SampEn and slower mean PF with greater variability than HC, particularly in the regions of the exteroceptive self. Moreover, EP drug-free exhibited a decoupling between SampEn and PF, whereas HC showed strong correlations. Both SampEn and PF significantly contributed to diagnostic classification, and increased SampEn was associated with greater severity of negative, disorganized, and anxiety/depression symptoms. Together, these findings indicate abnormal infraslow brain dynamics in early psychosis, characterized by increased neural complexity and disrupted temporal organization. This temporal imprecision, particularly within the exteroceptive self, may represent a key mechanism linking altered brain dynamics to self-disturbance and psychopathology in early psychosis.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026temporal,
title = {{Temporal imprecision of the self in drug-free psychosis: Abnormal infraslow phase dynamics and brain complexity}},
author = {I-Fei Chen and Yujia Ao and Yasir Catal and Chen-Chung Liu and Tzung-Jeng Hwang and Yi-Ting Lin and Ming H. Hsieh and Yi-Ling Chien and Hai-Gwo Hwu and Stephan Lechner and Chih-Min Liu and Georg Northoff},
journal = {Translational Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1038/s41398-026-04526-0},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-04526-0},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Temporal imprecision of the self in drug-free psychosis: Abnormal infraslow phase dynamics and brain complexity
AU - I-Fei Chen
AU - Yujia Ao
AU - Yasir Catal
AU - Chen-Chung Liu
AU - Tzung-Jeng Hwang
AU - Yi-Ting Lin
AU - Ming H. Hsieh
AU - Yi-Ling Chien
AU - Hai-Gwo Hwu
AU - Stephan Lechner
AU - Chih-Min Liu
AU - Georg Northoff
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Translational Psychiatry
DO - 10.1038/s41398-026-04526-0
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-04526-0
AB - Self-disturbance is a core feature of schizophrenia (SCZ) and may emerge during the prodromal phase. Temporal imprecision has recently been proposed as a core neural mechanism in schizophrenia, primarily demonstrated in faster EEG frequency ranges. Whether such imprecision extends to infraslow brain dynamics in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and relates to self-disturbance in early psychosis remains unknown. Here, we examined resting-state fMRI data from drug-free early psychosis patients (EP drug-free, n = 31, scanned before and after medication) and 31 healthy controls (HC). Brain dynamics were quantified using sample entropy (SampEn) and instantaneous peak frequency (PF) in regions associated with different layers of self-processing (interoceptive, exteroceptive, and mental). Compared to controls, EP drug-free showed higher SampEn and slower mean PF with greater variability than HC, particularly in the regions of the exteroceptive self. Moreover, EP drug-free exhibited a decoupling between SampEn and PF, whereas HC showed strong correlations. Both SampEn and PF significantly contributed to diagnostic classification, and increased SampEn was associated with greater severity of negative, disorganized, and anxiety/depression symptoms. Together, these findings indicate abnormal infraslow brain dynamics in early psychosis, characterized by increased neural complexity and disrupted temporal organization. This temporal imprecision, particularly within the exteroceptive self, may represent a key mechanism linking altered brain dynamics to self-disturbance and psychopathology in early psychosis.
SN - 2158-3188
ER -