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Motor dysfunction and sensorimotor cortex activation changes in schizophrenia: A study with functional magnetic
J Schröder1, M Essig, K Baudendistel
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Federal Republic ofGermany.
Neuroimage
|January 27, 1999
Summary
Schizophrenia patients exhibit reduced sensorimotor cortex activation. Increased motor performance variability, not retardation, correlates with these brain changes in schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Schizophrenia is associated with diminished activation in sensorimotor cortex and supplementary motor area (SMA).
- The relationship between motor performance deficits and these neuroimaging findings in schizophrenia remains unclear.
- Neurological soft signs (NSS) may be linked to altered motor control in schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between sensorimotor cortex/SMA activation and motor performance in schizophrenia.
- To determine if motor retardation or motor variability better explains observed brain activation differences.
- To explore the impact of antipsychotic medication and disease state on these neurofunctional changes.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activation in 12 schizophrenia patients and 12 healthy controls.
- Participants performed a hand pronation/supination task at varying speeds while motor performance was recorded.
- Analysis focused on comparing brain activation patterns and motor performance metrics (retardation and variability) between groups.
Main Results:
- Motor retardation measures did not significantly differ between schizophrenia patients and controls.
- Schizophrenia patients demonstrated significantly increased motor performance variability compared to controls.
- A significant decrease in sensorimotor cortex activation was observed in patients, with a similar trend in the SMA.
- These activation differences were more pronounced at slower movement speeds and in drug-naïve patients.
Conclusions:
- Diminished sensorimotor cortex and SMA activation are confirmed in schizophrenia.
- Increased motor performance variability, rather than motor retardation, is associated with altered sensorimotor brain activation in schizophrenia.
- These findings contribute to understanding the neural underpinnings of motor abnormalities in schizophrenia.