Blunted activation in right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during motor response inhibition in schizophrenia

Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have reported abnormal brain activation in individuals with schizophrenia during performance of motor inhibition tasks. We aimed to clarify brain functional abnormalities related to motor response inhibition in schizophrenia by using event-related fMRI in combination with a Go-NoGo task designed to control for non-inhibitory cognitive processes involved in task performance.

We studied 21 schizophrenic patients and 21 healthy subjects, group-matched for age, sex, and performance accuracy on a Go-NoGo task during event-related fMRI. The task was designed so that Go and NoGo events were equally probable. Between-group activation differences were assessed using ANCOVAs with response time and IQ as covariates of non-interest.

Compared to healthy subjects, schizophrenic patients exhibited a significant decrease in activation during motor response inhibition in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) only. There were no areas of increased brain activation in patients compared to healthy subjects.

Schizophrenic patients demonstrate a blunted activation in the right VLPFC, a region known to play a critical role in motor response inhibition. Further research should ascertain the contribution of the VLPFC dysfunction to the impulsive behavior observed in schizophrenia.