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Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
Published on: December 2, 2015
Aberrant fronto-striatal connectivity and fine motor function in schizophrenia
Petra V Viher1, Lise Docx2, Wim Van Hecke3
1Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, 3000 Bern 60, Bern, Switzerland.
Schizophrenia patients show reduced fronto-striatal connectivity, impacting fine motor skills. This study links altered connections in the caudate nucleus, putamen, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and supplementary motor area (SMA) to motor function deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Fine motor dysfunction is common in schizophrenia, associated with brain alterations.
- The relationship between fine motor deficits and functional changes in the motor system is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate resting-state functional connectivity abnormalities in schizophrenia patients.
- To explore the association between these connectivity changes and fine motor function.
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional connectivity analysis was performed on 19 schizophrenia patients and 16 healthy controls.
- Eleven bilateral regions of interest were examined.
- Fine motor function was assessed using copying tasks and the Symbol-Digit-Substitution Test.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients exhibited reduced functional connectivity between the left caudate nucleus and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
- Patients also showed decreased connectivity between the left putamen and bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) proper.
- Altered DLPFC-caudate connectivity correlated with psychomotor speed, while aberrant SMA-putamen connectivity related to psychomotor speed and information processing speed.
Conclusions:
- Findings highlight the role of fronto-striatal connections in the pathophysiology of fine motor impairments in schizophrenia.
- Abnormalities in connectivity within fronto-striatal circuits contribute to motor deficits observed in schizophrenia.
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