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Imaging frontostriatal function in ultra-high-risk, early, and chronic schizophrenia during executive processing
Rajendra A Morey1, Seniha Inan, Teresa V Mitchell
1Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Archives of General Psychiatry
|March 9, 2005
Summary
Executive function deficits in individuals at ultra-high risk for schizophrenia appear before illness onset. This decline in frontal and striatal function may indicate a vulnerability marker for developing psychotic disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for schizophrenia exhibit executive function impairments.
- Neurobiological basis of these executive deficits in UHR individuals is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess frontal and striatal functions in UHR, early, and chronic schizophrenia patients using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- To investigate neurobiological underpinnings of executive function deficits in the schizophrenia prodrome.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional case-control study involving 52 participants (controls, UHR, early, and chronic schizophrenia patients).
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a visual oddball continuous performance task.
- Analysis of anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), basal ganglia, and thalamus activation.
Main Results:
- UHR individuals showed significantly reduced frontal activation (ACG, IFG, MFG) compared to controls.
- Early and chronic schizophrenia patients had significantly lower frontostriatal activation than controls.
- UHR group demonstrated a trend towards reduced frontostriatal activation, similar to the early group.
Conclusions:
- Prefrontal function decline precedes the onset of schizophrenia.
- Reduced frontal and striatal activation may serve as a vulnerability marker for psychotic disorders in UHR individuals.