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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.
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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
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