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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra
Published on: September 8, 2021
Hyperactivity and altered functional connectivity of the ventral striatum in schizophrenia compared with bipolar
Li Zhang1, Wenli Wang2, Yuan Ruan2
1Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China; Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei 230022, China.
Background:
Schizophrenia patients frequently present with structural and functional abnormalities of the ventral striatum (VS).
Methods:
we examined basal activation state and functional connectivity (FC) in four subregions of the bilateral ventral striatum: left inferior ventral striatum (VSi_L), left superior ventral striatum(VSs_L), right inferior ventral striatum(VSi_R), and right superior ventral striatum(VSs_R). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were obtained from 62 schizophrenia patients (SCH), 57 bipolar disorder (BD) patients, and 26 healthy controls (HCs).
Results:
The schizophrenia group exhibited greater fALFF in bilateral VS subregions compared to BD and HC groups as well as greater FC between the bilateral VSi and multiple brain regions, including the thalamus, putamen, posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC), frontal cortex and caudate. Moreover, the fALFF values of the bilateral ventral striatum were positively correlated with the severity of positive symptoms. We also found the functional connectivity between the bilateral inferior ventral striatum and some brain regions aforementioned were positively correlated with the severity of negative symptoms.
Conclusion:
These findings confirm a crucial contribution of ventral striatum dysfunction, especially of the bilateral VSi in schizophrenia. Functionally dissociated regions of the ventral striatum are differentially disturbed in schizophrenia.
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