1
|
Hasan SM, Huq MS, Chowdury AZ, Baajour S, Kopchick J, Robison AJ, Thakkar KN, Haddad L, Amirsadri A, Thomas P, Khatib D, Rajan U, Stanley JA, Diwadkar VA. Learning without contingencies: A loss of synergy between memory and reward circuits in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2023; 258:21-35. [PMID: 37467677 PMCID: PMC10521382 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Motivational deficits in schizophrenia may interact with foundational cognitive processes including learning and memory to induce impaired cognitive proficiency. If such a loss of synergy exists, it is likely to be underpinned by a loss of synchrony between the brains learning and reward sub-networks. Moreover, this loss should be observed even during tasks devoid of explicit reward contingencies given that such tasks are better models of real world performance than those with artificial contingencies. Here we applied undirected functional connectivity (uFC) analyses to fMRI data acquired while participants engaged in an associative learning task without contingencies or feedback. uFC was estimated and inter-group differences (between schizophrenia patients and controls, n = 54 total, n = 28 patients) were assessed within and between reward (VTA and NAcc) and learning/memory (Basal Ganglia, DPFC, Hippocampus, Parahippocampus, Occipital Lobe) sub-networks. The task paradigm itself alternated between Encoding, Consolidation, and Retrieval conditions, and uFC differences were quantified for each of the conditions. Significantly reduced uFC dominated the connectivity profiles of patients across all conditions. More pertinent to our motivations, these reductions were observed within and across classes of sub-networks (reward-related and learning/memory related). We suggest that disrupted functional connectivity between reward and learning sub-networks may drive many of the performance deficits that characterize schizophrenia. Thus, cognitive deficits in schizophrenia may in fact be underpinned by a loss of synergy between reward-sensitivity and cognitive processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sazid M Hasan
- Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, USA
| | - Munajj S Huq
- Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, USA
| | - Asadur Z Chowdury
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Shahira Baajour
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - John Kopchick
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - A J Robison
- Dept. of Physiology, Michigan State University, USA
| | | | - Luay Haddad
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Alireza Amirsadri
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Patricia Thomas
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Dalal Khatib
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Usha Rajan
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Stanley
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tucci AA, Schroeder A, Noël C, Shvetz C, Yee J, Howard AL, Keshavan MS, Guimond S. Social cognition in youth with a first-degree relative with schizophrenia: A systematic scoping review. Psychiatry Res 2023; 323:115173. [PMID: 36989908 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Social-cognitive deficits are present in individuals at familial high-risk (FHR) for schizophrenia and may play a role in the onset of the illness. No literature review has examined the social-cognitive profiles of youth at FHR who are within the peak window of risk for developing schizophrenia, which could provide insight on the endophenotypic role of social cognition. This systematic scoping review (1) summarizes the evidence on social-cognitive deficits in youth at FHR, (2) explores brain correlates, and (3) describes social-cognitive deficits and prodromal symptom associations. We searched PsycInfo and PubMed for studies investigating social cognition in FHR youth aged 35 or younger and included 19 studies (FHR=639; controls=689). Studies report that youth at FHR have difficulty recognizing negative emotions, particularly fear. Youth at FHR also have difficulty performing complex theory of mind tasks. Abnormality in corticolimbic and temporoparietal regions are observed in youth at FHR during social-cognitive tasks, but results are inconsistent. Finally, there is evidence for negative associations between prodromal symptoms and performance on emotion regulation and theory of mind tasks, but the research is scarce. This review highlights the need for studies on youth at FHR using longitudinal designs and extensive social-cognitive, brain imaging and clinical measures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A Tucci
- Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alexandra Schroeder
- Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Chelsea Noël
- Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Cecelia Shvetz
- Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jasmin Yee
- Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea L Howard
- Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Division of Public Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Synthia Guimond
- Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, University of Quebec in Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lee CC, Ye R, Tubbs JD, Baum L, Zhong Y, Leung SYJ, Chan SC, Wu KYK, Cheng PKJ, Chow LP, Leung PWL, Sham PC. Third-generation genome sequencing implicates medium-sized structural variants in chronic schizophrenia. Front Neurosci 2023; 16:1058359. [PMID: 36711134 PMCID: PMC9874699 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1058359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder, with significant contribution from genetic factors particularly for chronic cases with negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. To date, Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and exome sequencing have associated SCZ with a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variants (CNVs), but there is still missing heritability. Medium-sized structural variants (SVs) are difficult to detect using SNP arrays or second generation sequencing, and may account for part of the missing heritability of SCZ. Aims and objectives To identify SVs associated with severe chronic SCZ across the whole genome. Study design 10 multiplex families with probands suffering from chronic SCZ with negative symptoms and cognitive deficits were recruited, with all their affected members demonstrating uni-lineal inheritance. Control subjects comprised one affected member from the affected lineage, and unaffected members from each paternal and maternal lineage. Methods Third generation sequencing was applied to peripheral blood samples from 10 probands and 5 unaffected controls. Bioinformatic tools were used to identify SVs from the long sequencing reads, with confirmation of findings in probands by short-read Illumina sequencing, Sanger sequencing and visual manual validation with Integrated Genome Browser. Results In the 10 probands, we identified and validated 88 SVs (mostly in introns and medium-sized), within 79 genes, which were absent in the 5 unaffected control subjects. These 79 genes were enriched in 20 biological pathways which were related to brain development, neuronal migration, neurogenesis, neuronal/synaptic function, learning/memory, and hearing. These identified SVs also showed evidence for enrichment of genes that are highly expressed in the adolescent striatum. Conclusion A substantial part of the missing heritability in SCZ may be explained by medium-sized SVs detectable only by third generation sequencing. We have identified a number of such SVs potentially conferring risk for SCZ, which implicate multiple brain-related genes and pathways. In addition to previously-identified pathways involved in SCZ such as neurodevelopment and neuronal/synaptic functioning, we also found novel evidence for enrichment in hearing-related pathways and genes expressed in the adolescent striatum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chi Chiu Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Kwai Chung Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China,*Correspondence: Chi Chiu Lee,
| | - Rui Ye
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Justin D. Tubbs
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Larry Baum
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yuanxin Zhong
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shuk Yan Joey Leung
- Department of Psychiatry, Kwai Chung Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sheung Chun Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tai Po Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kit Ying Kitty Wu
- Kowloon West Cluster, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Po Kwan Jamie Cheng
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Yan Chai Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lai Ping Chow
- Department of Psychiatry, Kwai Chung Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Patrick W. L. Leung
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Pak Chung Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China,Centre for PanorOmic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China,Pak Chung Sham,
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nestor PG, Levin LK, Stone WS, Giuliano AJ, Seidman LJ, Levitt JJ. Brain structural abnormalities of the associative striatum in adolescents and young adults at genetic high-risk of schizophrenia: Implications for illness endophenotypes. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 155:355-362. [PMID: 36179416 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dysfunction in cortico-striatal circuitry represents a core component of the pathophysiology in schizophrenia (SZ) but its potential as a candidate endophenotype of the illness is often confounded by neuroleptic medication. METHODS Accordingly, 26 adolescent and young adult participants at genetic high-risk for schizophrenia, but who were asymptomatic and neuroleptic naïve, and 28 age-matched controls underwent 1.5T structural magnetic resonance imaging of the striatum, manually parcellated into limbic (LST), associative (AST), and sensorimotor (SMST) functional subregions. RESULTS In relation to their age peers, participants at genetic high-risk for schizophrenia showed overall lower striatal gray matter volume with their most pronounced loss, bilaterally in the AST, but not the LST or SMST. Neuropsychological testing revealed reduced executive functioning for genetically at-risk participants, although the groups did not differ significantly in overall intelligence or oral reading. For controls but not for at-genetic high-risk participants, stronger executive functioning correlated with increased bilateral AST volume. CONCLUSIONS Reduced bilateral AST volume in genetic high-risk adolescents and young adults, accompanied by heritable loss of higher cognitive brain-behavior relationships, might serve as a useful endophenotype of SZ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul G Nestor
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA; Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Brockton, MA, 02301, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Laura K Levin
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - William S Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anthony J Giuliano
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Larry J Seidman
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - James J Levitt
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Brockton, MA, 02301, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
van Gool KCA, Collin G, Bauer CCC, Molokotos E, Mesholam-Gately RI, Thermenos HW, Seidman LJ, Gabrieli JDE, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Keshavan MS. Altered working memory-related brain activity in children at familial high risk for psychosis: A preliminary study. Schizophr Res 2022; 240:186-192. [PMID: 35032903 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia spectrum disorders are heritable illnesses that usually manifest in early adulthood but are increasingly viewed as neurodevelopmental disorders. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies show altered brain activity during performance of working memory (WM) tasks in both individuals with schizophrenia and their first-degree relatives as compared to healthy controls (HC). This study examined whether similar changes are already present in pre-adolescent children at familial high-risk (FHR) for psychosis. METHODS 37 children (17 FHR, 20 HC) between 7 and 12 years old participated in this study. WM performance was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV). To assess brain activation during WM performance, participants completed a visual block-designed n-back task with 2 conditions (2-back and 0-back) during scanning. fMRI data was preprocessed and analyzed using FSL Feat. RESULTS Compared to HC, FHR children showed significantly lower WISC-IV WM scores. In addition, FHR children exhibited hypoactivation in the 2-back (versus 0-back) condition in a cluster encompassing bilateral precuneus and cuneus and right posterior cingulate cortex. There were no significant group-differences in n-back task performance and brain activation. The precuneus cluster was not correlated with n-back performance or WISC WM scores. CONCLUSIONS The current results provide preliminary evidence of impaired WM function and altered brain activity during WM performance in children with a familial predisposition for psychosis. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether these findings are related to abnormal brain development and predictive of cognitive deficits and psychosis later in life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C A van Gool
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Guusje Collin
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Clemens C C Bauer
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elena Molokotos
- Department of Psychology, Suffolk University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Heidi W Thermenos
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Larry J Seidman
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Mental Health, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Arsalidou M, Yaple Z, Jurcik T, Ushakov V. Cognitive Brain Signatures of Youth With Early Onset and Relatives With Schizophrenia: Evidence From fMRI Meta-analyses. Schizophr Bull 2020; 46:857-868. [PMID: 31978222 PMCID: PMC7345811 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbz130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in cognitive function are a major characteristic of schizophrenia. Many functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies examine brain correlates of cognitive function in adults with schizophrenia, showing altered implication of associative areas such as the prefrontal cortex and temporal cortex. fMRI studies also examine brain representation of cognitive function in adolescents with early onset schizophrenia and those at risk of the disorder, yet results are often inconsistent. We compile and analyze data from eligible fMRI studies using quantitative meta-analyses to reveal concordant brain activity associated with adolescent relatives of patients with schizophrenia and those with early onset schizophrenia. Results show similar functional hubs of brain activity (eg, precuneus) yet in opposite hemispheres and clusters in ventrolateral rather than dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Other areas of altered implication include the middle temporal gyrus, insula, and cerebellum. We discuss the findings in reference to the protracted maturation of the prefrontal cortex and possible effects due to the medication status of the two groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Arsalidou
- Department of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Armyanskiy per. 4, c2, Moscow, 101000, room 406; tel: 1786-505-9779, e-mail: ; ;
| | - Zachary Yaple
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tomas Jurcik
- Department of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Vadim Ushakov
- Kurchatov Department of NBICS-nature-like technologies, National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, Russian Federation,Department of Cybernetics, National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”, Moscow, Russian Federation
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Johnsen LK, Ver Loren van Themaat AH, Larsen KM, Burton BK, Baaré WFC, Madsen KS, Nordentoft M, Siebner HR, Plessen KJ. Alterations in Task-Related Brain Activation in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults at Familial High-Risk for Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder - A Systematic Review. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:632. [PMID: 32754058 PMCID: PMC7365908 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Children, adolescents, and young adults with at least one first-degree relative [familial high-risk (FHR)] with either schizophrenia (SZ) or bipolar disorder (BD) have a one-in-two risk of developing a psychiatric disorder. Here, we review functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies which examined task-related brain activity in young individuals with FHR-SZ and FHR-BD. A systematic search identified all published task-related fMRI studies in children, adolescents, and young adults below an age of 27 years with a first-degree relative with SZ or BD, but without manifest psychotic or affective spectrum disorder themselves. The search identified 19 cross-sectional fMRI studies covering four main cognitive domains: 1) working memory (n = 3), 2) cognitive control (n = 4), 3) reward processing (n = 3), and 4) emotion processing (n = 9). Thirteen studies included FHR-BD, five studies included FHR-SZ, and one study included a pooled FHR group. In general, task performance did not differ between the respective FHR groups and healthy controls, but 18 out of the 19 fMRI studies revealed regional alterations in task-related activation. Brain regions showing group differences in peak activation were regions associated with the respective task domain and showed little overlap between FHR-SZ and FHR-BD. The low number of studies, together with the low number of subjects, and the substantial heterogeneity of employed methodological approaches within the domain of working memory, cognitive control, and reward processing impedes finite conclusions. Emotion processing was the most investigated task domain in FHR-BD. Four studies reported differences in activation of the amygdala, and two studies reported differences in activation of inferior frontal/middle gyrus. Together, these studies provide evidence for altered brain processing of emotions in children, adolescents, and young adults at FHR-BD. More studies of higher homogeneity, larger sample sizes and with a longitudinal study design are warranted to prove a shared or specific FHR-related endophenotypic brain activation in young first-degree relatives of individuals with SZ or BD, as well as to pinpoint specific alterations in brain activation during cognitive-, emotional-, and reward-related tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Line Korsgaard Johnsen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Mental Health Services, Capital Region Psychiatry, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Institute for Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Hester Ver Loren van Themaat
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Mental Health Services, Capital Region Psychiatry, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Institute for Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kit Melissa Larsen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Mental Health Services, Capital Region Psychiatry, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Klee Burton
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Mental Health Services, Capital Region Psychiatry, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - William Frans Christiaan Baaré
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kathrine Skak Madsen
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Radiography, Department of Technology, University College Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Merete Nordentoft
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Institute for Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Mental Health Centre, Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Mental Health Services, Capital Region Psychiatry, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Hartwig Roman Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Institute for Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kerstin Jessica Plessen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Mental Health Services, Capital Region Psychiatry, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, The University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ma X, Zheng W, Li C, Li Z, Tang J, Yuan L, Ouyang L, Jin K, He Y, Chen X. Decreased regional homogeneity and increased functional connectivity of default network correlated with neurocognitive deficits in subjects with genetic high-risk for schizophrenia: A resting-state fMRI study. Psychiatry Res 2019; 281:112603. [PMID: 31622873 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The complex symptoms of schizophrenia (SCZ) have been associated with dysfunction of the default mode network (DMN). Subjects at genetic high risk (GHR) for SCZ exhibit similar but milder brain abnormalities. This study aimed to investigate functional alterations of DMN from the local to the whole and their relationships with cognitive deficits in GHR subjects. 42 GHR subjects and 38 matched healthy controls (HC) were studied by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis was performed to measure the local brain function of the DMN, derived by the group independent component analysis, and areas with aberrant ReHo were used as seeds in functional connectivity (FC). Compared with the HC group, the GHR group exhibited significantly decreased ReHo and increased FC in the fronto-limbic-striatal system within the DMN. Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was found between decreased ReHo in the right superior frontal gyrus and the delayed recall in GHR subjects. Our findings revealed decreased local function and hyper-connectivity in the fronto-limbic-striatal system of the DMN in GHR subjects, which is associated with cognitive deficits. This may improve our understanding of the neurophysiological endophenotypes of SCZ and the neural substrate underlying the cognitive deficits of the disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Ma
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenxiao Zheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Department of Clinical Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chunwang Li
- Department of Radiology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Zongchang Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jinsong Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Liu Yuan
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lijun Ouyang
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ke Jin
- Department of Radiology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Ying He
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Xiaogang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, China; China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
de la Serna E, Sugranyes G, Sanchez-Gistau V, Rodriguez-Toscano E, Baeza I, Vila M, Romero S, Sanchez-Gutierrez T, Penzol MJ, Moreno D, Castro-Fornieles J. Neuropsychological characteristics of child and adolescent offspring of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Schizophr Res 2017; 183:110-115. [PMID: 27847227 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) are considered neurobiological disorders which share some clinical, cognitive and neuroimaging characteristics. Studying child and adolescent offspring of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BDoff) or schizophrenia (SZoff) is regarded as a reliable method for investigating early alterations and vulnerability factors for these disorders. This study compares the neuropsychological characteristics of SZoff, BDoff and a community control offspring group (CC) with the aim of examining shared and differential cognitive characteristics among groups. METHODS 41 SZoff, 90 BDoff and 107 CC were recruited. They were all assessed with a complete neuropsychological battery which included intelligence quotient, working memory (WM), processing speed, verbal memory and learning, visual memory, executive functions and sustained attention. RESULTS SZoff and BDoff showed worse performance in some cognitive areas compared with CC. Some of these difficulties (visual memory) were common to both offspring groups, whereas others, such as verbal learning and WM in SZoff or PSI in BDoff, were group-specific. CONCLUSIONS The cognitive difficulties in visual memory shown by both the SZoff and BDoff groups might point to a common endophenotype in the two disorders. Difficulties in other cognitive functions would be specific depending on the family diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena de la Serna
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Clinical Institute for the Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, 2014SGR489, Spain.
| | - Gisela Sugranyes
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Clinical Institute for the Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, 2014SGR489, Spain; August Pi i Sunyer Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vanessa Sanchez-Gistau
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Early Intervention Psychosis Service, Pere Mata Institute and University Hospital, IISPV, Rovira i Virgili University, Reus, Spain
| | - Elisa Rodriguez-Toscano
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Gregorio Marañón University Hospital, Complutense University, IiSGM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Immaculada Baeza
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Clinical Institute for the Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, 2014SGR489, Spain
| | - Montserrat Vila
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Clinical Institute for the Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, 2014SGR489, Spain
| | - Soledad Romero
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Clinical Institute for the Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, 2014SGR489, Spain
| | - Teresa Sanchez-Gutierrez
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Gregorio Marañón University Hospital, Complutense University, IiSGM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mª José Penzol
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Gregorio Marañón University Hospital, Complutense University, IiSGM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dolores Moreno
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Gregorio Marañón University Hospital, Complutense University, IiSGM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josefina Castro-Fornieles
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Clinical Institute for the Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, 2014SGR489, Spain; August Pi i Sunyer Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, University of Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abboud R, Noronha C, Diwadkar VA. Motor system dysfunction in the schizophrenia diathesis: Neural systems to neurotransmitters. Eur Psychiatry 2017. [PMID: 28641214 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor control is a ubiquitous aspect of human function, and from its earliest origins, abnormal motor control has been proposed as being central to schizophrenia. The neurobiological architecture of the motor system is well understood in primates and involves cortical and sub-cortical components including the primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, the prefrontal cortex, the basal ganglia, and cerebellum. Notably all of these regions are associated in some manner to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. At the molecular scale, both dopamine and γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) abnormalities have been associated with working memory dysfunction, but particularly relating to the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex respectively. As evidence from multiple scales (behavioral, regional and molecular) converges, here we provide a synthesis of the bio-behavioral relevance of motor dysfunction in schizophrenia, and its consistency across scales. We believe that the selective compendium we provide can supplement calls arguing for renewed interest in studying the motor system in schizophrenia. We believe that in addition to being a highly relevant target for the study of schizophrenia related pathways in the brain, such focus provides tractable behavioral probes for in vivo imaging studies in the illness. Our assessment is that the motor system is a highly valuable research domain for the study of schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Abboud
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University Lansing, MI, USA
| | - C Noronha
- School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - V A Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Suite 5A, Tolan Park Medical Building, 3901 Chrysler Service Drive, 48201 Detroit, MI, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zhang R, Picchioni M, Allen P, Toulopoulou T. Working Memory in Unaffected Relatives of Patients With Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies. Schizophr Bull 2016; 42:1068-77. [PMID: 26738528 PMCID: PMC4903055 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbv221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Working memory deficits, a core cognitive feature of schizophrenia may arise from dysfunction in the frontal and parietal cortices. Numerous studies have also found abnormal neural activation during working memory tasks in patients' unaffected relatives. The aim of this study was to systematically identify and anatomically localize the evidence for those activation differences across all eligible studies. Fifteen functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) manuscripts, containing 16 samples of 289 unaffected relatives of patients with schizophrenia, and 358 healthy controls were identified that met our inclusion criteria: (1) used a working memory task; and (2) reported standard space coordinates. Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) identified convergence across studies. Compared to healthy controls, patients' unaffected relatives showed decreases in neural activation in the right middle frontal gyrus (BA9), as well as right inferior frontal gyrus (BA44). Increased activation was seen in relatives in the right frontopolar (BA10), left inferior parietal lobe (BA40), and thalamus bilaterally. These results suggest that the familial risk of schizophrenia is expressed in changes in neural activation in the unaffected relatives in the cortical-subcortical working memory network that includes, but is not restricted to the middle prefrontal cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruibin Zhang
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Marco Picchioni
- St Andrew’s Academic Department, Northampton, UK;,Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - Paul Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK;,Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Timothea Toulopoulou
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Hyperactivity of caudate, parahippocampal, and prefrontal regions during working memory in never-medicated persons at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Schizophr Res 2016; 173:1-12. [PMID: 26965745 PMCID: PMC4836956 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in working memory (WM) are a core feature of schizophrenia (SZ) and other psychotic disorders. We examined brain activity during WM in persons at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis. METHODS Thirty-seven CHR and 34 healthy control participants underwent functional MRI (fMRI) on a 3.0T scanner while performing an N-back WM task. The sample included a sub-sample of CHR participants who had no lifetime history of treatment with psychotropic medications (n=11). Data were analyzed using SPM8 (2-back>0-back contrast). Pearson correlations between brain activity, symptoms, and WM performance were examined. RESULTS The total CHR group and medication-naive CHR sub-sample were comparable to controls in most demographic features and in N-back WM performance, but had significantly lower IQ. Relative to controls, medication-naïve CHR showed hyperactivity in the left parahippocampus (PHP) and the left caudate during performance of the N-back WM task. Relative to medication-exposed CHR, medication naïve CHR exhibited hyperactivity in the left caudate and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). DLPFC activity was significantly negatively correlated with WM performance. PHP, caudate and DLPFC activity correlated strongly with symptoms, but results did not withstand FDR-correction for multiple comparisons. When all CHR participants were combined (regardless of medication status), only trend-level PHP hyperactivity was observed in CHR relative to controls. CONCLUSIONS Medication-naïve CHR exhibit hyperactivity in regions that subserve WM. These regions are implicated in studies of schizophrenia and risk for psychosis. Results emphasize the importance of medication status in the interpretation of task - induced brain activity.
Collapse
|
13
|
Douet V, Chang L, Lee K, Ernst T. ERBB4 polymorphism and family history of psychiatric disorders on age-related cortical changes in healthy children. Brain Imaging Behav 2016; 9:128-40. [PMID: 25744101 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-015-9363-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Genetic variations in ERBB4 were associated with increased susceptibility for schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorders (BPD). Structural imaging studies showed cortical abnormalities in adolescents and adults with SCZ or BPD. However, less is known about subclinical cortical changes or the influence of ERBB4 on cortical development. 971 healthy children (ages 3-20 years old; 462 girls and 509 boys) were genotyped for the ERBB4-rs7598440 variants, had structural MRI, and cognitive evaluation (NIH Toolbox ®). We investigated the effects of ERBB4 variants and family history of SCZ and/or BPD (FH) on cortical measures and cognitive performances across ages 3-20 years using a general additive model. Variations in ERBB4 and FH impact differentially the age-related cortical changes in regions often affected by SCZ and BPD. The ERBB4-TT-risk genotype children with no FH had subtle cortical changes across the age span, primarily located in the left temporal lobe and superior parietal cortex. In contrast, the TT-risk genotype children with FH had more pronounced age-related changes, mainly in the frontal lobes compared to the non-risk genotype children. Interactive effects of age, FH and ERBB4 variations were also found on episodic memory and working memory, which are often impaired in SCZ and BPD. Healthy children carrying the risk-genotype in ERBB4 and/or with FH had cortical measures resembling those reported in SCZ or BPD. These subclinical cortical variations may provide early indicators for increased risk of psychiatric disorders and improve our understanding of the effect of the NRG1-ERBB4 pathway on brain development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Douet
- Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii and The Queen's Medical Center, 1356 Lusitana Street, UH Tower, Room 716, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA,
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Tang Y, Chen K, Zhou Y, Liu J, Wang Y, Driesen N, Edmiston EK, Chen X, Jiang X, Kong L, Zhou Q, Li H, Wu F, Wang Z, Xu K, Wang F. Neural activity changes in unaffected children of patients with schizophrenia: A resting-state fMRI study. Schizophr Res 2015; 168:360-5. [PMID: 26232869 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Previous neuroimaging studies have suggested that individuals at risk for schizophrenia exhibit structural and functional brain abnormalities. However, few studies focus on resting state baseline activity in individuals with genetic high-risk for schizophrenia (HR). We examined cerebral spontaneous neural activity in HR by measuring the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) in the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance signal during resting state. Using a 3T MRI scanner, 28 non-psychotic young adult participants with at least one parent with schizophrenia and 44 matched unrelated healthy comparison subjects (HC) were scanned during the resting-state. The ALFF of the BOLD signal for each participant was calculated, and these values were then compared between-groups using voxel-based analysis of the ALFF maps. The HR group showed significantly increased ALFF compared to the HC group in the striatum, including the left caudate nucleus extending to the putamen and the right caudate nucleus. There was also increased ALFF in HR relative to controls in the left medial temporal region including hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus and the fusiform gyrus, as well as regions including the left lateral thalamus, bilateral ventral and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral calcarine sulcus and precuneus. There was significantly decreased ALFF in the HR group relative to controls in the left inferior parietal lobule/postcentral gyrus. Our findings suggest that altered intrinsic neuronal activity in cortico-striato-thalamic networks may represent genetic vulnerability for the development of schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanqing Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Kaiyuan Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China; Mental Health Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yifang Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Ye Wang
- Mental Health Center of Shenyang, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Naomi Driesen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - E Kale Edmiston
- Vanderbilt Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Xiaogang Chen
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Xiaowei Jiang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Lingtao Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Qian Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Huanhuan Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Liaoning Provincial Mental Center, Kaiyuan, Liaoning, China
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China; Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Diwadkar VA, Burgess A, Hong E, Rix C, Arnold PD, Hanna GL, Rosenberg DR. Dysfunctional Activation and Brain Network Profiles in Youth with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Focus on the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate during Working Memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:149. [PMID: 25852529 PMCID: PMC4362304 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain network dysfunction is emerging as a central biomarker of interest in psychiatry, in large part, because psychiatric conditions are increasingly seen as disconnection syndromes. Understanding dysfunctional brain network profiles in task-active states provides important information on network engagement in an experimental context. This in turn may be predictive of many of the cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with complex behavioral phenotypes. Here we investigated brain network profiles in youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), contrasting them with a group of age-comparable controls. Network interactions were assessed during simple working memory: in particular, we focused on the modulation by the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) of cortical, striatal, and thalamic regions. The focus on the dACC was motivated by its hypothesized role in the pathophysiology of OCD. However, its task-active network signatures have not been investigated before. Network interactions were modeled using psychophysiological interaction, a simple directional model of seed to target brain interactions. Our results indicate that OCD is characterized by significantly increased dACC modulation of cortical, striatal, and thalamic targets during working memory, and that this aberrant increase in OCD patients is maintained regardless of working memory demand. The results constitute compelling evidence of dysfunctional brain network interactions in OCD and suggest that these interactions may be related to a combination of network inefficiencies and dACC hyper-activity that has been associated with the phenotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Brain Imaging Research Division, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA
| | - Ashley Burgess
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Brain Imaging Research Division, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA
| | - Ella Hong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Brain Imaging Research Division, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA
| | - Carrie Rix
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Brain Imaging Research Division, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA
| | - Paul D Arnold
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada
| | - Gregory L Hanna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI , USA
| | - David R Rosenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Brain Imaging Research Division, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Self-disturbances as a possible premorbid indicator of schizophrenia risk: a neurodevelopmental perspective. Schizophr Res 2014; 152:73-80. [PMID: 23932148 PMCID: PMC3877695 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Revised: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/19/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Self-disturbances (SDs) are increasingly identified in schizophrenia and are theorized to confer vulnerability to psychosis. Neuroimaging research has shed some light on the neural correlates of SDs in schizophrenia. But, the onset and trajectory of the neural alterations underlying SDs in schizophrenia remain incompletely understood. We hypothesize that the aberrant structure and function of brain areas (e.g., prefrontal, lateral temporal, and parietal cortical structures) comprising the "neural circuitry of self" may represent an early, premorbid (i.e., pre-prodromal) indicator of schizophrenia risk. Consistent with neurodevelopmental models, we argue that "early" (i.e., perinatal) dysmaturational processes (e.g., abnormal cortical neural cell migration and mini-columnar formation) affecting key prefrontal (e.g., medial prefrontal cortex), lateral temporal cortical (e.g., superior temporal sulcus), and parietal (e.g., inferior parietal lobule) structures involved in self-processing may lead to subtle disruptions of "self" during childhood in persons at risk for schizophrenia. During adolescence, progressive neurodevelopmental alterations (e.g., aberrant synaptic pruning) affecting the neural circuitry of self may contribute to worsening of SDs. This could result in the emergence of prodromal symptoms and, eventually, full-blown psychosis. To highlight why adolescence may be a period of heightened risk for SDs, we first summarize the literature regarding the neural correlates of self in typically developing children. Next, we present evidence from neuroimaging studies in genetic high-risk youth suggesting that fronto-temporal-parietal structures mediating self-reflection may be abnormal in the premorbid period. Our goal is that the ideas presented here might provide future directions for research into the neurobiology of SDs during the pre-psychosis development of youth at risk for schizophrenia.
Collapse
|
17
|
Diwadkar VA, Bustamante A, Rai H, Uddin M. Epigenetics, stress, and their potential impact on brain network function: a focus on the schizophrenia diatheses. Front Psychiatry 2014; 5:71. [PMID: 25002852 PMCID: PMC4066368 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent sociodevelopmental cognitive model of schizophrenia/psychosis is a highly influential and compelling compendium of research findings. Here, we present logical extensions to this model incorporating ideas drawn from epigenetic mediation of psychiatric disease, and the plausible effects of epigenetics on the emergence of brain network function and dysfunction in adolescence. We discuss how gene-environment interactions, effected by epigenetic mechanisms, might in particular mediate the stress response (itself heavily implicated in the emergence of schizophrenia). Next, we discuss the plausible relevance of this framework for adolescent genetic risk populations, a risk group characterized by vexing and difficult-to-explain heterogeneity. We then discuss how exploring relationships between epigenetics and brain network dysfunction (a strongly validated finding in risk populations) can enhance understanding of the relationship between stress, epigenetics, and functional neurobiology, and the relevance of this relationship for the eventual emergence of schizophrenia/psychosis. We suggest that these considerations can expand the impact of models such as the sociodevelopmental cognitive model, increasing their explanatory reach. Ultimately, integration of these lines of research may enhance efforts of early identification, intervention, and treatment in adolescents at-risk for schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA
| | - Angela Bustamante
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA
| | - Harinder Rai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA
| | - Monica Uddin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA ; Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Pujol N, Penadés R, Rametti G, Catalán R, Vidal-Piñeiro D, Palacios E, Bargallo N, Bernardo M, Junqué C. Inferior frontal and insular cortical thinning is related to dysfunctional brain activation/deactivation during working memory task in schizophrenic patients. Psychiatry Res 2013; 214:94-101. [PMID: 23993992 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2012] [Revised: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Although working memory is known to be impaired in schizophrenia the anatomical and functional relationships underlying this deficit remain to be elucidated. A combined imaging approach involving functional and structural magnetic resonance techniques was used, applying independent component analysis and surface-based morphometry to 14 patients with schizophrenia and 14 healthy controls. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed by a neuropsychological test battery that measured executive function. It was hypothesized that working memory dysfunctional connectivity in schizophrenia is related to underlying anatomical abnormalities. Patients with schizophrenia showed cortical thinning in the left inferior frontal gyrus and insula, which explained 57% of blood oxygenation level-dependent signal magnitude in functional magnetic resonance imaging in the central executive network (lateral prefrontal and parietal cortex) over-activation and default mode network (anterior and posterior cingulate) deactivation. No structure-function relationship emerged in the healthy control group. The study provides evidence to suggest that dysfunctional activation/deactivation patterns in schizophrenia may be explained in terms of underlying gray matter deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Núria Pujol
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/Casanova 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C/ Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Clinical Institute of Neurosciences (ICN), Hospital Clinic, C/ Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Quidé Y, Morris RW, Shepherd AM, Rowland JE, Green MJ. Task-related fronto-striatal functional connectivity during working memory performance in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2013; 150:468-75. [PMID: 24016726 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Revised: 07/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) deficits and associated brain dysfunction are among the most well replicated candidate endophenotypic processes in schizophrenia. However, previous studies demonstrate inconsistent over- and under-activation of dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC; VLPFC), inferior parietal lobule (IPL) during WM performance, as well as subcortical structures including the striatum, and dysfunctional connectivity among fronto-striatal regions in schizophrenia. However, no previous study has investigated task-related functional connectivity (FC) of DLPFC and striatal regions using a seed-based method; here we employed this method to assess patterns of cortical and subcortical functional connectivity among WM structures during a standard 2-back WM task performed by 28 schizophrenia (SZ) and 28 healthy controls (HC). Initial group comparisons of blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses during the WM task revealed significantly greater bilateral activity in the striatum in SZ relative to HC, but there was no significant group difference in WM cortical activity (right DLPFC, VLPFC or IPL). Analyses of FC within the cortico-subcortical WM network in the HC group revealed positive performance-related FC between the right DLPFC and the right caudate, and between the right VLPFC and the right IPL; this pattern was absent in SZ. In contrast, SZ patients showed negative performance-related functional connectivity between the left putamen and the right VLPFC. Direct group comparisons in functional connectivity showed significantly greater performance-related FC between the VLPFC and bilateral putamen, as well as unilaterally between the VLPFC and the right IPL, in HC. Results suggest a critical dysfunction of cortico-striatal connectivity underpinning information retrieval for SZ patients during WM performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Quidé
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia; School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Thermenos HW, Keshavan MS, Juelich RJ, Molokotos E, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Brent BK, Makris N, Seidman LJ. A review of neuroimaging studies of young relatives of individuals with schizophrenia: a developmental perspective from schizotaxia to schizophrenia. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2013; 162B:604-35. [PMID: 24132894 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In an effort to identify the developing abnormalities preceding psychosis, Dr. Ming T. Tsuang and colleagues at Harvard expanded Meehl's concept of "schizotaxia," and examined brain structure and function in families affected by schizophrenia (SZ). Here, we systematically review genetic (familial) high-risk (HR) studies of SZ using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), examine how findings inform models of SZ etiology, and suggest directions for future research. Neuroimaging studies of youth at HR for SZ through the age of 30 were identified through a MEDLINE (PubMed) search. There is substantial evidence of gray matter volume abnormalities in youth at HR compared to controls, with an accelerated volume reduction over time in association with symptoms and cognitive deficits. In structural neuroimaging studies, prefrontal cortex (PFC) alterations were the most consistently reported finding in HR. There was also consistent evidence of smaller hippocampal volume. In functional studies, hyperactivity of the right PFC during performance of diverse tasks with common executive demands was consistently reported. The only longitudinal fMRI study to date revealed increasing left middle temporal activity in association with the emergence of psychotic symptoms. There was preliminary evidence of cerebellar and default mode network alterations in association with symptoms. Brain abnormalities in structure, function and neurochemistry are observed in the premorbid period in youth at HR for SZ. Future research should focus on the genetic and environmental contributions to these alterations, determine how early they emerge, and determine whether they can be partially or fully remediated by innovative treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H W Thermenos
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Division of Public Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wadehra S, Pruitt P, Murphy ER, Diwadkar VA. Network dysfunction during associative learning in schizophrenia: Increased activation, but decreased connectivity: an fMRI study. Schizophr Res 2013; 148:38-49. [PMID: 23759649 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is characterized by disordered activation and disordered connectivity, yet few fMRI studies have convergently investigated both. Here, we compared differences in activation and connectivity between SCZ and controls (HC). Twenty-two subjects (18≤age≤35yrs) participated in a paired-associative learning task, a behavioral domain particularly dependent on fronto-hippocampal connectivity and of relevance to the schizophrenia diathesis. Activation differences were assessed using standard approaches. Seed-based connectivity differences were compared using Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) with a hippocampus-based seed. SCZ evinced significantly increased activation, but significantly decreased connectivity with the hippocampus across a cortical-striatal learning network. These results assess potentially complementary patterns of network dysfunction in schizophrenia: increased activation suggests inefficient responses relating to functional specialization; decreased connectivity suggests impaired integration of functional signals between regions. Inefficiency and dysconnection appear to collectively characterize functional deficits in schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunali Wadehra
- Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University SOM, United States
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Tu PC, Lee YC, Chen YS, Li CT, Su TP. Schizophrenia and the brain's control network: aberrant within- and between-network connectivity of the frontoparietal network in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2013; 147:339-47. [PMID: 23706416 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2012] [Revised: 05/22/2012] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The deficit of executive control is a core feature of schizophrenia, and as such, it provides hints for the neural signature of this devastating mental illness. The frontoparietal network (FPN) is a newly defined network important for various tasks requiring executive control. This study aims to investigate both the within- and between-network connectivity of the FPN in schizophrenia using functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI). Thirty-six subjects with schizophrenia and thirty-six healthy controls were enrolled. Each subject received resting fMRI scanning, clinical evaluations and cognitive examinations. Twenty-two regions of interest (ROIs) in the key hubs of the FPN were defined according to the functional connectivity map of the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and included the bilateral frontal pole, inferior parietal lobe (IPL), insula, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), middle cingulate cortex (mCC), precuneus, caudate, thalamus and cerebellum. Between-group comparisons were conducted using both multiple ROI-based and brain-wise analyses. The ROI-based analysis revealed that the schizophrenic participants were associated with a prominent cortico-subcortical disconnection within the FPN. Further brain-wise analyses demonstrated that the schizophrenia patients showed increased functional connectivity between several ROIs in the FPN and regions belonging to the primary sensory processing or default mode networks. These results indicated that schizophrenia is associated with both within- and between-network dysconnectivity of the FPN. Together with our previous findings of the cortico-striatal disconnection of the cingulo-opercular network, we suggest that the brain's control networks may play an important role in the neural mechanisms of schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Chi Tu
- Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Suazo V, Díez Á, Tamayo P, Montes C, Molina V. Limbic hyperactivity associated to verbal memory deficit in schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2013; 47:843-50. [PMID: 23490064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2013.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2012] [Revised: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/07/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In schizophrenia there seems to be an inefficient activation of prefrontal and hippocampal regions. Patients tend to show worse cognitive performance in functions subserved by those regions as compared to healthy controls in spite of higher regional activation. However, the association between activation abnormalities and cognitive deficits remains without being understood. In the present study, we compared cerebral perfusion using single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) in patients and controls to study the association between activation patterns and cognitive performance in this disease. The SPECT studies were simultaneously obtained with an electrophysiological recording during a P300 paradigm to elicit P3a and P3b components. We included 23 stable patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 29 healthy controls that underwent clinical and cognitive assessments. Patients with schizophrenia showed an increased perfusion in the right hippocampus with respect to healthy controls, they also displayed a statistically significant inverse association between perfusion in the left hippocampus and verbal memory performance. Healthy controls showed an inverse association between perfusion in the left dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC) region and working memory performance. P3b but not P3a amplitude was significantly lower in patients. The limbic overactivation in the patients may contribute to their cognitive deficits in verbal memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Suazo
- Institute of Biomedical Research (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Soloff PH, Pruitt P, Sharma M, Radwan J, White R, Diwadkar VA. Structural brain abnormalities and suicidal behavior in borderline personality disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2012; 46:516-25. [PMID: 22336640 PMCID: PMC3307855 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2011] [Revised: 11/24/2011] [Accepted: 01/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural brain abnormalities have been demonstrated in subjects with BPD in prefrontal and fronto-limbic regions involved in the regulation of emotion and impulsive behavior, executive cognitive function and episodic memory. Impairment in these cognitive functions is associated with increased vulnerability to suicidal behavior. We compared BPD suicide attempters and non-attempters, high and low lethality attempters to healthy controls to identify neural circuits associated with suicidal behavior in BPD. METHODS Structural MRI scans were obtained on 68 BPD subjects (16 male, 52 female), defined by IPDE and DIB/R criteria, and 52 healthy controls (HC: 28 male, 24 female). Groups were compared by diagnosis, attempt status, and attempt lethality. ROIs were defined for areas reported to have structural or metabolic abnormalities in BPD, and included: mid-inf. orbitofrontal cortex, mid-sup temporal cortex, anterior cingulate, insula, hippocampus, amygdala, fusiform, lingual and parahippocampal gyri. Data were analyzed using optimized voxel-based morphometry implemented with DARTEL in SPM5, co-varied for age and gender, corrected for cluster extent (p < .001). RESULTS Compared to HC, BPD attempters had significantly diminished gray matter concentrations in 8 of 9 ROIs, non-attempters in 5 of 9 ROIs. Within the BPD sample, attempters had diminished gray matter in Lt. insula compared to non-attempters. High lethality attempters had significant decreases in Rt. mid-sup. temporal gyrus, Rt. mid-inf. orbitofrontal gyrus, Rt. insular cortex, Lt. fusiform gyrus, Lt. lingual gyrus and Rt. parahippocampal gyrus compared to low lethality attempters. CONCLUSIONS Specific structural abnormalities discriminate BPD attempters from non-attempters and high from low lethality attempters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Soloff
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, United States.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Diwadkar VA, Meintjes EM, Goradia D, Dodge NC, Warton C, Molteno CD, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL. Differences in cortico-striatal-cerebellar activation during working memory in syndromal and nonsyndromal children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Hum Brain Mapp 2012; 34:1931-45. [PMID: 22451272 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2011] [Revised: 12/19/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Although children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure may exhibit the distinctive facial dysmorphology seen in full or partial fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS/PFAS), many lack that dysmorphology. This study examined the functional organization of working memory in the brain in three groups of children-those meeting diagnostic criteria for FAS or PFAS, heavily exposed (HE) nonsyndromal children, and healthy controls. A verbal n-back task (1-back and 0-back) was administered to 47 children (17 with FAS/PFAS, 13 HE, and 17 controls) during fMRI. Intra-group one-sample t-tests were used to identify activity regions of interest central to verbal working memory including the dorsal prefrontal cortex (dPFC), inferior frontal gyrus, caudate/putamen, parietal cortex, and cerebellar Crus I/lobule VI and lobule VIIB-IX. Whereas groups did not differ in task sensitivity, fMRI analyses suggested different patterns of sub-network recruitment across groups. Controls primarily recruited left inferior frontal gyrus (Broca's area). By contrast, HE primarily recruited an extensive set of fronto-striatal regions, including left dPFC and left caudate, and the FAS/PFAS group relied primarily on two cerebellar subregions and parietal cortex. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to demonstrate differential recruitment of critical brain regions that subserve basic function in children with different fetal alcohol spectrum disorders compared to controls. The distinct activation patterns seen in the two exposed groups may be related to substantial differences in alcohol dose/occasion to which these groups were exposed in utero.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48207, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|