The association between aberrant salience and psychotic experiences in general population twins, and genetic vulnerability as a modifier.

Abstract

Abstract Background. Previous studies assessing the hypothesis that the construct of ‘aberrant salience’ is associated with psychosis and psychotic symptoms showed conflicting results. For this reason, the association between measures to index aberrant salience and subclinical psychotic symptoms in a general population sample was analysed. In addition, genetic vulnerability was added to the analysis as a modifier to test the hypothesis that modification by genetic vulnerability may explain variability in the results. Methods The TwinssCan project obtained data from general population twins (N = 887). CAPE (Community Assessment of Psychic Experience) scores were used to index psychotic experiences. Aberrant salience was assessed with white noise task and ambiguous situations task. Results Measures of aberrant salience were not associated with psychotic experiences nor was there evidence for interaction with genetic predisposition in this association (Z = 1.08, p = 0.282). Conclusions Various studies including the present could not replicate the association between aberrant salience and psychotic experiences in general population samples. The conflicting findings could not be explained by moderation by genetic vulnerability. On the other hand, this association has been reported in so-called ‘ultra-high risk’ patients and first episode psychosis patients. Thus, this association may represent a state-dependent association, present only at the more severe end of the psychosis spectrum.