Functional and effective frontotemporal connectivity and genetic risk for schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Genetics

Background:

• Schizophrenia is associated with disturbed frontotemporal interaction.
• Previous studies used functional neuroimaging and electrophysiology.
• The role of frontotemporal connectivity as a trait marker for genetic risk is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate frontotemporal connectivity in schizophrenia.
• To determine if frontotemporal connectivity abnormalities are trait markers of genetic risk.

Main Methods:

• Auditory oddball electroencephalogram (EEG) evoked potential paradigm.
• Measured frontotemporal event-related EEG-coherence (functional connectivity).
• Structural equation modeling of effective connectivity (P300 amplitude).

Main Results:

• Reduced frontotemporal coherence in patients and siblings.
• Altered frontotemporal path coefficients (normal controls: negative; patients: positive; siblings: intermediate).
• Connectivity measures were poor predictors of genetic risk.

Conclusions:

• Impaired frontotemporal macro-circuit interaction reflects genetically determined abnormalities in microcircuits.
• Frontotemporal connectivity is not a reliable predictor of genetic risk for schizophrenia.