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Reduced prefrontal cortex activation during divergent thinking in schizophrenia: a multi-channel NIRS study
Kiyoaki Takeshi1, Takahiro Nemoto, Masaki Fumoto
1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo 143-8541, Japan.
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry
|August 3, 2010
Summary
Schizophrenia patients show reduced brain activity in the frontopolar cortex, particularly the ventral region, during idea fluency tasks. This hypoactivity is linked to impaired divergent thinking and poorer social functioning.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Deficits in verbal fluency are linked to social dysfunction in schizophrenia.
- Idea fluency, reflecting divergent thinking, is more strongly associated with social dysfunction than simple word fluency.
- Prefrontal dysfunction is implicated in schizophrenia, but specific regions for idea fluency deficits are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify prefrontal sub-regions responsible for idea fluency deficits in schizophrenia using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).
- Investigate the relationship between these deficits, idea fluency, and social dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- A case-controlled study involving 18 schizophrenia outpatients and 16 healthy controls.
- Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measured prefrontal hemoglobin concentration changes during idea and letter fluency tests.
- Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) assessed social functioning.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients showed reduced oxyhemoglobin increase in the frontopolar cortex during both fluency tests compared to controls.
- Reduced activation was observed in the ventral frontopolar region during idea fluency and the dorsal region during letter fluency.
- Hypoactivity during idea fluency significantly correlated with poorer social functioning (GAF scores) in patients.
Conclusions:
- The ventral region of the frontopolar cortex is crucial for divergent thinking (idea fluency).
- Impaired function in this ventral region contributes to social dysfunction in schizophrenia.
- NIRS is a practical neuroimaging method for studying prefrontal cortex activity in schizophrenia.
