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Brain activation patterns in schizophrenic and comparison volunteers during a matched-performance auditory
H H Holcomb1, A C Lahti, D R Medoff
1Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland at Baltimore, 21228, USA. hholcomb@mprc.umaryland.edu
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|September 29, 2000
Summary
Schizophrenia patients show reduced brain blood flow changes in key areas during demanding tasks. This suggests difficulties in optimally utilizing frontocingulate systems, impacting cognitive performance in high-error situations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Schizophrenia research often uses functional imaging, but behavioral differences complicate interpretation.
- Distinguishing illness-related deficits from task performance in schizophrenia is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess brain blood flow patterns and behavioral correlates in schizophrenia patients during an auditory recognition task.
- To investigate how regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) changes in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls during cognitive tasks.
Main Methods:
- 18 schizophrenia patients and 12 healthy volunteers performed a trained auditory recognition task.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) with [(15)O]H(2)O measured blood flow during rest, sensory-motor control, and a decision task.
- Behavioral accuracy and response times were recorded and analyzed alongside blood flow data.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients showed significantly less change in rCBF to anterior cingulate and supplementary motor cortices during the decision task compared to controls.
- While controls showed increased frontal cortex blood flow with longer response times, schizophrenia patients exhibited decreased frontal blood flow with extended response times.
- Performance accuracy and speed were matched between groups.
Conclusions:
- Patients with schizophrenia failed to appropriately enhance cingulate activity during a demanding task.
- A progressive, time-dependent decline in frontal blood flow was observed in schizophrenia patients.
- These findings suggest impaired optimal utilization of frontocingulate systems in schizophrenia during high-demand, high-error tasks.