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Schröder J, Degen C. Economization of cerebral activation under training: The inverse U- shaped function revisited. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2020; 306:111177. [PMID: 32919868 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
As already observed as early as 1967 by Ingvar and Risberg in their pioneering work, effects of practice of working memory on cerebral functions have been confirmed repeatedly in a number of neuroimaging studies using positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Accordingly, initial performance gains are typically accompanied by increased cerebral activation, while consolidation of such performance gains goes along with a subsequent decrease in activation resembling an inverse U-shaped function. This observed pattern can be interpreted as an economization of cerebral functioning as tasks are being accomplished with relatively lower effort and may also apply to other cognitive domains. However, the economization of cerebral activation under training may depend on task difficulty and training characteristics on the one hand and individual factors, including age, intelligence, cognitive reserve, education, physical and mental health on the other. These findings bear important implications for the design of neuroimaging studies and stimulation protocols, in which similar tasks are routinely repeated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Schröder
- Section Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Voss Str. 4, D- 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Christina Degen
- Section Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Voss Str. 4, D- 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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2
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Osborne KJ, Walther S, Shankman SA, Mittal VA. Psychomotor Slowing in Schizophrenia: Implications for Endophenotype and Biomarker Development. Biomark Neuropsychiatry 2020; 2:100016. [PMID: 33738459 PMCID: PMC7963400 DOI: 10.1016/j.bionps.2020.100016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor abnormalities (e.g., dyskinesia, psychomotor slowing, neurological soft signs) are core features of schizophrenia that occur independent of drug treatment and are associated with the genetic vulnerability and pathophysiology for the illness. Among this list, psychomotor slowing in particular is one of the most consistently observed and robust findings in the field. Critically, psychomotor slowing may serve as a uniquely promising endophenotype and/or biomarker for schizophrenia considering it is frequently observed in those with genetic vulnerability for the illness, predicts transition in subjects at high-risk for the disorder, and is associated with symptoms and recovery in patients. The purpose of the present review is to provide an overview of the history of psychomotor slowing in psychosis, discuss its possible neural underpinnings, and review the current literature supporting slowing as a putative endophenotype and/or biomarker for the illness. This review summarizes substantial evidence from a diverse array of methodologies and research designs that supports the notion that psychomotor slowing not only reflects genetic vulnerability, but is also sensitive to disease processes and the pathophysiology of the illness. Furthermore, there are unique deficits across the cognitive (prefix "psycho") and motor execution (root word "motor") aspects of slowing, with cognitive processes such as planning and response selection being particularly affected. These findings suggest that psychomotor slowing may serve as a promising endophenotype and biomarker for schizophrenia that may prove useful for identifying individuals at greatest risk and tracking the course of the illness and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Juston Osborne
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychology, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Sebastian Walther
- University of Bern, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Translational Research Center, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stewart A. Shankman
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychology, Evanston, IL, USA
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vijay A. Mittal
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychology, Evanston, IL, USA
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Policy Research, Department of Medical Social Sciences, Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci), Evanston, Chicago, IL, USA
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3
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Viher PV, Docx L, Van Hecke W, Parizel PM, Sabbe B, Federspiel A, Walther S, Morrens M. Aberrant fronto-striatal connectivity and fine motor function in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 288:44-50. [PMID: 31075716 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal fine motor function is a frequent finding in schizophrenia and has been linked to structural and functional brain alterations. However, whether fine motor function is related to functional alterations within the motor system remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess whether abnormalities in resting-state functional connectivity are present in schizophrenia patients and to investigate how these abnormalities may be related to fine motor function. We examined 19 schizophrenia patients and 16 healthy controls using resting-state functional connectivity for 11 bilateral regions of interest. Fine motor function was assessed on a set of copying tasks and the Symbol-Digit-Substitution Test. We found significantly reduced functional connectivity between the left caudate nucleus and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and between the left putamen and bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) proper in patients compared to controls. Altered connectivity from DLPFC to caudate nucleus was related to fine motor tasks, which are sensitive to psychomotor speed, whereas aberrant connectivity between the SMA proper and putamen was associated to both, fine motor task, which are sensitive to psychomotor speed and to speed of information processing. Our findings emphasize the role of fronto-striatal connections in the pathogenesis of fine motor impairments in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra V Viher
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, 3000 Bern 60, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Lise Docx
- Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Multiversum, Boechout, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Hecke
- Department of Radiology, Antwerp University Hospital & University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Paul M Parizel
- Department of Radiology, Antwerp University Hospital & University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bernard Sabbe
- Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; University Psychiatric Hospital Antwerp, Campus Duffel, Belgium
| | - Andrea Federspiel
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, 3000 Bern 60, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Walther
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, 3000 Bern 60, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Morrens
- Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; University Psychiatric Hospital Antwerp, Campus Duffel, Belgium
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4
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Hirjak D, Kubera KM, Thomann PA, Wolf RC. Motor dysfunction as an intermediate phenotype across schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders: Progress and perspectives. Schizophr Res 2018; 200:26-34. [PMID: 29074330 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Primary motor abnormalities (PMA), as found in patients with schizophrenia, are quantitatively and qualitatively distinct markers of motor system abnormalities. PMA have been often referred to phenomena that are present across schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. A dysfunction of frontoparietal and subcortical networks has been proposed as core pathophysiological mechanism underlying the expression of PMA. However, it is unclear at present if such mechanisms are a common within schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. To address this question, we review recent neuroimaging studies investigating the neural substrates of PMA in schizophrenia and so-called "nonschizophrenic nonaffective psychoses" (NSNAP) such as schizophreniform, schizoaffective, brief psychotic, and other unspecified psychotic disorders. Although the extant data in patients with schizophrenia suggests that further investigation is warranted, MRI findings in NSNAP are less persuasive. It is unclear so far which PMA, if any, are characteristic features of NSNAP or, possibly even specific for these disorders. Preliminary data suggest a relationship between relapsing-remitting PMA in hyper-/hypokinetic cycloid syndromes and neurodegenerative disorders of the basal ganglia, likely reflecting the transnosological relevance of subcortical abnormalities. Despite this evidence, neural substrates and mechanisms underlying PMA that are common in schizophrenia and NSNAP cannot be clearly delineated at this stage of research. PMA and their underlying brain circuits could be promising intermediate phenotype candidates for psychotic disorders, but future multimodal neuroimaging studies in schizophrenia and NSNAP patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives are needed to answer fundamental transnosologic questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dusan Hirjak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Katharina M Kubera
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philipp A Thomann
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Center for Mental Health, Odenwald District Healthcare Center, Erbach, Germany
| | - Robert C Wolf
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Germany
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5
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Hirjak D, Northoff G, Thomann PA, Kubera KM, Wolf RC. Genuine motorische Phänomene bei schizophrenen Psychosen. DER NERVENARZT 2017; 89:27-43. [DOI: 10.1007/s00115-017-0434-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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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.
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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.
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7
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Térémetz M, Carment L, Brénugat-Herne L, Croca M, Bleton JP, Krebs MO, Maier MA, Amado I, Lindberg PG. Manual Dexterity in Schizophrenia-A Neglected Clinical Marker? Front Psychiatry 2017; 8:120. [PMID: 28740470 PMCID: PMC5502278 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Impaired manual dexterity is commonly observed in schizophrenia. However, a quantitative description of key sensorimotor components contributing to impaired dexterity is lacking. Whether the key components of dexterity are differentially affected and how they relate to clinical characteristics also remains unclear. We quantified the degree of dexterity in 35 stabilized patients with schizophrenia and in 20 age-matched control subjects using four visuomotor tasks: (i) force tracking to quantify visuomotor precision, (ii) sequential finger tapping to measure motor sequence recall, (iii) single-finger tapping to assess temporal regularity, and (iv) multi-finger tapping to measure independence of finger movements. Diverse clinical and neuropsychological tests were also applied. A patient subgroup (N = 15) participated in a 14-week cognitive remediation protocol and was assessed before and after remediation. Compared to control subjects, patients with schizophrenia showed greater error in force tracking, poorer recall of tapping sequences, decreased tapping regularity, and reduced degree of finger individuation. A composite performance measure discriminated patients from controls with sensitivity = 0.79 and specificity = 0.9. Aside from force-tracking error, no other dexterity components correlated with antipsychotic medication. In patients, some dexterity components correlated with neurological soft signs, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), or neuropsychological scores. This suggests differential cognitive contributions to these components. Cognitive remediation lead to significant improvement in PANSS, tracking error, and sequence recall (without change in medication). These findings show that multiple aspects of sensorimotor control contribute to impaired manual dexterity in schizophrenia. Only visuomotor precision was related to antipsychotic medication. Good diagnostic accuracy and responsiveness to treatment suggest that manual dexterity may represent a useful clinical marker in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Térémetz
- FR3636, CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Loïc Carment
- FR3636, CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Lindsay Brénugat-Herne
- SHU, Resource Center for Cognitive Remediation and Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Université Paris Descartes, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France.,INSERM U894, GDR3557 Psychiatrie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Marta Croca
- SHU, Resource Center for Cognitive Remediation and Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Université Paris Descartes, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France.,INSERM U894, GDR3557 Psychiatrie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | | | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- SHU, Resource Center for Cognitive Remediation and Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Université Paris Descartes, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France.,INSERM U894, GDR3557 Psychiatrie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Marc A Maier
- FR3636, CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Amado
- SHU, Resource Center for Cognitive Remediation and Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Université Paris Descartes, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France.,INSERM U894, GDR3557 Psychiatrie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Påvel G Lindberg
- FR3636, CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,INSERM U894, GDR3557 Psychiatrie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
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8
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Zemankova P, Lungu O, Huttlova J, Kerkovsky M, Zubor J, Lipova P, Bares M, Kasparek T. Neuronal substrate and effective connectivity of abnormal movement sequencing in schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 67:1-9. [PMID: 26780603 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Movement sequencing difficulties are part of the neurological soft signs (NSS), they have high clinical value because they are not always present in schizophrenia. We investigated the neuronal correlates of movement sequencing in 24 healthy controls and 24 schizophrenia patients, with (SZP SQ+) or without (SZP SQ-) sequencing difficulties. We characterized simultaneous and lagged functional connectivity between brain regions involved in movement sequencing using psychophysiological interaction (PPI) and the Granger causality modeling (GCM), respectively. Left premotor cortex (PMC) and superior parietal lobule (SPL) were specifically activated during sequential movements in all participants. Right PMC and precuneus, ipsilateral to the hand executing the task, activated during sequential movements only in healthy controls and SZP SQ-. SZP SQ+ showed hyperactivation in contralateral PMC, as compared to the other groups. PPI analysis revealed a deficit in inhibitory connections within this fronto-parietal network in SZP SQ+ during sequential task. GCM showed a significant lagged effective connectivity from right PMC to left SPL during task and rest periods in all groups and from right PMC to right precuneus in SZP SQ+ group only. Both SZP groups had a significant lagged connectivity from right to left PMC, during sequential task. Our results indicate that aberrant fronto-parietal network connectivity with cortical inhibition deficit and abnormal reliance on previous network activity are related to movement sequencing in SZP. The overactivation of motor cortex seems to be a good compensating strategy, the hyperactivation of parietal cortex is linked to motor deficit symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Zemankova
- Behavioural and Social Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology - Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Ovidiu Lungu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Research in Aging, Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jitka Huttlova
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Milos Kerkovsky
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Zubor
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Lipova
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Bares
- Behavioural and Social Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology - Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University and St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Kasparek
- Behavioural and Social Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology - Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
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9
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Hirjak D, Thomann PA, Kubera KM, Wolf ND, Sambataro F, Wolf RC. Motor dysfunction within the schizophrenia-spectrum: A dimensional step towards an underappreciated domain. Schizophr Res 2015; 169:217-233. [PMID: 26547881 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
At the beginning of the 20th century, genuine motor abnormalities (GMA) were considered to be intricately linked to schizophrenia. Subsequently, however, GMA have been increasingly regarded as unspecific transdiagnostic phenomena or related to side effects of antipsychotic treatment. Despite possible medication confounds, within the schizophrenia spectrum GMA have been categorized into three broad categories, i.e. neurological soft signs, abnormal involuntary movements and catatonia. Schizophrenia patients show a substantial overlap across a broad range of distinct motor signs and symptoms suggesting a prominent involvement of the motor system in disease pathophysiology. There have been several attempts to increase reliability and validity in diagnosing schizophrenia based on behavior and neurobiology, yet relatively little attention has been paid to the motor domain in the past. Nevertheless, accumulating neuroscientific evidence suggests the possibility of a motor endophenotype in schizophrenia, and that GMA could represent a specific dimension within the schizophrenia-spectrum. Here, we review current neuroimaging research on GMA in schizophrenia with an emphasis on distinct and common mechanisms of brain dysfunction. Based on a dimensional approach we show that multimodal neuroimaging combined with fine-grained clinical examination can result in a comprehensive characterization of structural and functional brain changes that are presumed to underlie core GMA in schizophrenia. We discuss the possibility of a distinct motor domain, together with its implications for future research. Investigating GMA by means of multimodal neuroimaging can essentially contribute at identifying novel and biologically reliable phenotypes in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dusan Hirjak
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Philipp A Thomann
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina M Kubera
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nadine D Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medical Sciences (DISM), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Robert C Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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10
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Chan RC, Huang J, Zhao Q, Wang Y, Lai YY, Hong N, Shum DH, Cheung EF, Yu X, Dazzan P. Prefrontal cortex connectivity dysfunction in performing the Fist-Edge-Palm task in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and non-psychotic first-degree relatives. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2015; 9:411-7. [PMID: 26594623 PMCID: PMC4596919 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Neurological soft signs have been considered one of the promising neurological endophenotypes for schizophrenia. However, most previous studies have employed clinical rating data only. The present study aimed to examine the neurobiological basis of one of the typical motor coordination signs, the Fist–Edge–Palm (FEP) task, in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and their non-psychotic first degree relatives. Thirteen patients with first-episode schizophrenia, 14 non-psychotic first-degree relatives and 14 healthy controls were recruited. All of them were instructed to perform the FEP task in a 3 T GE Machine. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis was used to evaluate the functional connectivity between the sensorimotor cortex and frontal regions when participants performed the FEP task compared to simple motor tasks. In the contrast of palm-tapping (PT) vs. rest, activation of the left frontal–parietal region was lowest in the schizophrenia group, intermediate in the relative group and highest in the healthy control group. In the contrast of FEP vs. PT, patients with schizophrenia did not show areas of significant activation, while relatives and healthy controls showed significant activation of the left middle frontal gyrus. Moreover, with the increase in task complexity, significant functional connectivity was observed between the sensorimotor cortex and the right frontal gyrus in healthy controls but not in patients with first episode schizophrenia. These findings suggest that activity of the left frontal–parietal and frontal regions may be neurofunctional correlates of neurological soft signs, which in turn may be a potential endophenotype of schizophrenia. Moreover, the right frontal gyrus may play a specific role in the execution of the FEP task in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Examine the neurobiological basis of the typical Fist–Edge–Palm (FEP) signs Patients with first-episode schizophrenia showed functional connectivity of the FEP signs. Right frontal gyrus plays a specific role in the FEP in patients and non-psychotic first-degree relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond C.K. Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author at: Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 526, South Building, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China. Tel./fax: +86 10 64836274.Institute of PsychologyChinese Academy of Sciences526, South Building16 Lincui RoadBeijingChina
| | - Jia Huang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Zhao
- School of Applied Psychology and Behavioral Basis of Health Program, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ya Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yun-yao Lai
- Radiology Department, Peking University People's Hospital, Peking, China
| | - Nan Hong
- Radiology Department, Peking University People's Hospital, Peking, China
| | - David H.K. Shum
- School of Applied Psychology and Behavioral Basis of Health Program, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | | | - Xin Yu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China
- Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King's College London, London, UK
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11
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Zaytseva Y, Korsakova N, Gurovich IY, Heinz A, Rapp MA. Luria revisited: complex motor phenomena in first episode schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Res 2014; 220:145-51. [PMID: 25200763 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia frequently exhibit motor deficits. However, to date, there are no studies comparing motor performance in first episode patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD; e.g. schizoaffective and brief psychosis). Participants comprised 57 first episode patients with schizophrenia, 32 first episode patients with SSD, and 51 healthy controls who underwent neuropsychological testing based on Luria׳s systematic approach, including the following tests on complex motor sequencing: the Fist-Edge-Palm (FEP) test and the bimanual probe (BP). Schizophrenia patients performed worse than SSD patients in FEP and BP, and both patient groups showed decreased scores compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, we found that a higher proportion of schizophrenia cases failed to correct their motor performance and needed external error correction, while SSD cases exhibited a higher proportion of self-correction in FEP and in BP. Lack of insight and poor executive functioning correlated with motor performance in schizophrenia, while impulse control and difficulties in abstract thinking were related to motor performance in schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Thus, psychomotor impairments appear already in first episode patients with schizophrenia and differ from impairments in SSD. Especially the inability to self-correct errors may be characteristic of schizophrenia, suggesting that impairments in error monitoring are related to psychomotor dysfunction in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya Zaytseva
- Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry, Moscow, Russia; Human Science Centre, Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany; Prague Psychiatric Centre, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | | | | | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael A Rapp
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany; Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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12
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Oberman L, Pascual-Leone A. Changes in plasticity across the lifespan: cause of disease and target for intervention. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 207:91-120. [PMID: 24309252 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63327-9.00016-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We conceptualize brain plasticity as an intrinsic property of the nervous system enabling rapid adaptation in response to changes in an organism's internal and external environment. In prenatal and early postnatal development, plasticity allows for the formation of organized nervous system circuitry and the establishment of functional networks. As the individual is exposed to various sensory stimuli in the environment, brain plasticity allows for functional and structural adaptation and underlies learning and memory. We argue that the mechanisms of plasticity change over the lifespan with different slopes of change in different individuals. These changes play a key role in the clinical phenotype of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Altered plasticity not only can trigger maladaptive cascades and can be the cause of deficits and disability but also offers opportunities for novel therapeutic interventions. In this chapter, we discuss the importance of brain plasticity across the lifespan and how neuroplasticity-based therapies offer promise for disorders with otherwise limited effective treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Oberman
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Zhao Q, Li Z, Huang J, Yan C, Dazzan P, Pantelis C, Cheung EFC, Lui SSY, Chan RCK. Neurological soft signs are not "soft" in brain structure and functional networks: evidence from ALE meta-analysis. Schizophr Bull 2014; 40:626-41. [PMID: 23671197 PMCID: PMC3984512 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbt063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurological soft signs (NSS) are associated with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. NSS have been conventionally considered as clinical neurological signs without localized brain regions. However, recent brain imaging studies suggest that NSS are partly localizable and may be associated with deficits in specific brain areas. METHOD We conducted an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis to quantitatively review structural and functional imaging studies that evaluated the brain correlates of NSS in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Six structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) and 15 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were included. RESULTS The results from meta-analysis of the sMRI studies indicated that NSS were associated with atrophy of the precentral gyrus, the cerebellum, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the thalamus. The results from meta-analysis of the fMRI studies demonstrated that the NSS-related task was significantly associated with altered brain activation in the inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral putamen, the cerebellum, and the superior temporal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS Our findings from both sMRI and fMRI meta-analyses further support the conceptualization of NSS as a manifestation of the "cerebello-thalamo-prefrontal" brain network model of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhao
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed; 4A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; tel/fax: +86(0)10 64836274, e-mail:
| | - Zhi Li
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Huang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Yan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Eric F. C. Cheung
- General Adult Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Simon S. Y. Lui
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,General Adult Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Raymond C. K. Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,*To whom correspondence should be addressed; 4A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; tel/fax: +86(0)10 64836274, e-mail:
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Minzenberg MJ, Yoon JH, Soosman SK, Carter CS. Excessive contralateral motor overflow in schizophrenia measured by fMRI. Psychiatry Res 2012; 202:38-45. [PMID: 22608155 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2011] [Revised: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 03/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is characterized by significant problems in control of behavior; however, the disturbances in neural systems that control movement remain poorly characterized. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate the origin of motor overflow in schizophrenia. Twenty-seven clinically stable medicated outpatients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR)-defined schizophrenia (SZ), and 18 healthy control (HC) subjects, all right-handed, performed a dominant-handed, single-choice visual sensorimotor reaction time paradigm during fMRI. Voxel-wise analyses were conducted within sensorimotor cortical and striatal regions on general linear model (GLM)-derived measures of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal change. The SZ group was not different from the HC group in reaction time, activation in somatosensory or motor cortices ipsilateral to the active (intended) descending corticospinal tract, nor visual cortex. However, in the right hemisphere (contralateral to the active M1), the SZ group showed significantly higher activation in primary motor cortex and adjacent premotor and somatosensory cortices (right Brodmann areas (BA) 1 through 4, and 6), and significantly lower activation in bilateral basal ganglia. Right BA 4 activation was strongly related to disorganization and poverty symptoms (and unrelated to medications) in the patient group. This study provides evidence in SZ of excessive neural activity in motor cortex contralateral to the intended primary motor cortex, which may form the basis for altered motor laterality and motor overflow previously observed, and disorganized behavior. This pathological motor overflow may be partly due to altered modulation of intended movement within the basal ganglia and premotor cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Minzenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA.
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15
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Kong L, Bachmann S, Thomann PA, Essig M, Schröder J. Neurological soft signs and gray matter changes: a longitudinal analysis in first-episode schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2012; 134:27-32. [PMID: 22018942 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2011.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2011] [Revised: 08/27/2011] [Accepted: 09/17/2011] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Neurological soft signs (NSS) - i.e. discrete deficits of sensory and motor function - are frequently found in schizophrenia and vary with psychopathological symptoms in the course of the disorder. Hence, persistence of NSS herald chronicity in first episode schizophrenia. To investigate the cerebral correlates of persisting NSS over time, 20 patients with first-episode schizophrenia underwent T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after remission of the acute symptoms and after 1 year of follow-up. NSS were rated on the Heidelberg Scale. Twenty age- and gender-matched control subjects were scanned once. Longitudinal gray matter (GM) changes were measured by using tensor based morphometry (TBM). At follow-up, patients demonstrated significantly decreased NSS scores. For further analysis, the patient sample was dichotomized into patients with decreasing NSS scores and patients with persistently increased scores, respectively. While patients with decreasing NSS exhibited only localized changes within the left frontal lobe, cerebellum, and cingulate gyrus, patients with persistently increased scores showed pronounced GM reductions of the sub-lobar claustrum, cingulate gyrus, cerebellum, frontal lobe, and middle frontal gyrus. Results were confirmed after correction for multiple comparisons. These findings support the hypothesis that persisting NSS refer to progressive cerebral changes in first-episode schizophrenia. Since NSS can be assessed in any clinical environment, this association facilitates the prospect that NSS can help to establish prognosis in first-episode patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Kong
- Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Germany
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16
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Takahashi H, Kato M, Sassa T, Shibuya T, Koeda M, Yahata N, Matsuura M, Asai K, Suhara T, Okubo Y. Functional deficits in the extrastriate body area during observation of sports-related actions in schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2010; 36:642-7. [PMID: 18927345 PMCID: PMC2879677 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbn132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Exercise and sports are increasingly being implemented in the management of schizophrenia. The process of action perception is as important as that of motor execution for learning and acquiring new skills. Recent studies have suggested that body-selective extrastriate body area (EBA) in the posterior temporal-occipital cortex is involved not only in static visual perception of body parts but also in the planning, imagination, and execution of actions. However, functional abnormality of the EBA in schizophrenia has yet to be investigated. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a task designed to activate the EBA by sports-related actions, we aimed to elucidate functional abnormality of the EBA during observation of sports-related actions in patients with schizophrenia. Twelve schizophrenia patients and 12 age-sex-matched control participants participated in the study. Using sports-related motions as visual stimuli, we examined brain activations during observation of context-congruent actions relative to context-incongruent actions by fMRI. Compared with controls, the patients with schizophrenia demonstrated diminished activation in the EBA during observation of sports-related context-congruent actions. Furthermore, the EBA activation in patients was negatively correlated with the severity of negative and general psychopathology symptoms measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Dysfunction of the EBA might reflect a difficulty in representing dynamic aspects of human actions and possibly lead to impairments of simulation, learning, and execution of actions in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidehiko Takahashi
- Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 9-1, 4-chome, Anagawa,Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
| | - Motoichiro Kato
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sassa
- Department of Psychiatry, Asai Hospital, 38-1 Katoku Togane 283-8650, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Shibuya
- Department of Psychiatry, Asai Hospital, 38-1 Katoku Togane 283-8650, Japan,Department of Human Sciences, Toyo Gakuen University, 1-26-3, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | | | - Noriaki Yahata
- Department of Pharamacology, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan
| | - Masato Matsuura
- Department of Life Sciences and Bio-informatics, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Asai
- Department of Psychiatry, Asai Hospital, 38-1 Katoku Togane 283-8650, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Suhara
- Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 9-1, 4-chome, Anagawa,Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
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Gold JM, Hahn B, Strauss GP, Waltz JA. Turning it upside down: areas of preserved cognitive function in schizophrenia. Neuropsychol Rev 2009; 19:294-311. [PMID: 19452280 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-009-9098-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2009] [Accepted: 05/04/2009] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia demonstrate marked impairments on most clinical neuropsychological tests. These findings suggest that patients suffer from a generalized form of cognitive impairment, with little evidence of spared performance documented in several large meta-analytic reviews of the clinical literature. In contrast, we review evidence for relative sparing of aspects of attention, procedural memory, and emotional processing observed in studies that have employed experimental approaches adapted from the cognitive and affective neuroscience literature. These islands of preserved performance suggest that the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are not as general as they appear to be when assayed with clinical neuropsychological methods. The apparent contradiction in findings across methods may offer important clues about the nature of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. The documentation of preserved cognitive function in schizophrenia may serve to sharpen hypotheses about the biological mechanisms that are implicated in the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Gold
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, PO Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA.
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Reske M, Habel U, Kellermann T, Backes V, Jon Shah N, von Wilmsdorff M, Gaebel W, Zilles K, Schneider F. Differential brain activation during facial emotion discrimination in first-episode schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2009; 43:592-9. [PMID: 19056093 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2008] [Accepted: 10/28/2008] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant brain activation during facial emotion discrimination has been described in chronic schizophrenia, while little is known about early stages of the illness. The aim of the current study was to investigate valence-specific brain activation of emotion discrimination in first-episode schizophrenia. These patients provide the advantage of lacking the effects of long-term medication and chronic illness course and can hence further enhance the understanding of underlying psychopathological mechanisms. METHODS Using event-related fMRI, we investigated 18 first-episode schizophrenia patients and 18 matched healthy subjects during an explicit emotion discrimination task presenting happy, sad and neutral monochromatic facial expressions. A repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the factors Group (patients, healthy subjects), Gender and Emotion (happy, sad, neutral) was performed on behavioural and functional data. RESULTS Behavioural performance did not differ between groups. Valence-independent hypoactivations in patients were observed for the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex while hyperactivations emerged in the posterior cingulate and the precuneus. Emotion-specific group differences were revealed in inferior parietal and orbitofrontal brain areas and the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS First-episode schizophrenia already affects areas involved in processing of both, emotions and primary facial information. Our study underlines the role of dysfunctional neural networks as the basis of disturbed social interactions in early schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Reske
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 8939 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite C230, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92037, USA.
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19
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Scheuerecker J, Ufer S, Käpernick M, Wiesmann M, Brückmann H, Kraft E, Seifert D, Koutsouleris N, Möller HJ, Meisenzahl EM. Cerebral network deficits in post-acute catatonic schizophrenic patients measured by fMRI. J Psychiatr Res 2009; 43:607-14. [PMID: 18951556 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2008] [Revised: 08/01/2008] [Accepted: 08/25/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Twelve patients with catatonic schizophrenia and 12 matched healthy controls were examined with functional MRI while performing a motor task. The aim of our study was to identify the intracerebral pathophysiological correlates of motor symptoms in catatonic patients. The motor task included three conditions: a self-initiated (SI), an externally triggered (ET) and a rest condition. Statistical analysis was performed with SPM5. During the self-initiated movements patients showed significantly less activation than healthy controls in the supplementary motor area (SMA), the prefrontal and parietal cortex. Our results suggest a dysfunction of the "medial motor system" in catatonic patients. Self-initiated and externally triggered movements are mediated by different motor loops. The "medial loop" includes the SMA, thalamus and basal ganglia, and is necessary for self-initiated movements. The "lateral loop" includes parts of the cerebellum, lateral premotor cortex, thalamus and parietal association areas. It is involved in the execution of externally triggered movements. Our findings are in agreement with earlier behavioral data, which show deficits in self-initiated movements in catatonic patients but no impairment of externally triggered movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Scheuerecker
- Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336 Munich, Germany
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Rowland LM, Shadmehr R, Kravitz D, Holcomb HH. Sequential neural changes during motor learning in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2008; 163:1-12. [PMID: 18407471 PMCID: PMC2562703 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2007.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2006] [Revised: 09/20/2007] [Accepted: 10/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to investigate differences in neural plasticity associated with learning a unique motor task in patients with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers. Working with a robotic manipulandum, subjects learned reaching movements in a force field. Visual cues were provided to guide the reaching movements. PET rCBF measures were acquired while participants learned the motor skill over successive runs. The groups did not differ in behavioral performance but did differ in their rCBF activity patterns. Healthy volunteers displayed blood flow increases in primary motor cortex and supplementary motor area with motor learning. The patients with schizophrenia displayed an increase in the primary visual cortex with motor learning. Changes in these regions were positively correlated with changes in each group's motor accuracy, respectively. This is the first study to employ a unique arm-reaching motor learning test to assess neural plasticity during multiple phases of motor learning in patients with schizophrenia. The patients may have an inability to rapidly tune motor cortical neural populations to a preferred direction. The visual system, however, appears to be highly compensated in schizophrenia and the inability to rapidly modulate the motor cortex may be substantially corrected by the schizophrenic group's visuomotor adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Rowland
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center and Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Reza Shadmehr
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Henry H. Holcomb
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center and Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Picard H, Amado I, Mouchet-Mages S, Olié JP, Krebs MO. The role of the cerebellum in schizophrenia: an update of clinical, cognitive, and functional evidences. Schizophr Bull 2008; 34:155-72. [PMID: 17562694 PMCID: PMC2632376 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbm049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The role of the cerebellum in schizophrenia has been highlighted by Andreasen's hypothesis of "cognitive dysmetria," which suggests a general dyscoordination of sensorimotor and mental processes. Studies in schizophrenic patients have brought observations supporting a cerebellar impairment: high prevalence of neurological soft signs, dyscoordination, abnormal posture and propioception, impaired eyeblink conditioning, impaired adaptation of the vestibular-ocular reflex or procedural learning tests, and lastly functional neuroimaging studies correlating poor cognitive performances with abnormal cerebellar activations. Despite those compelling evidences, there has been, to our knowledge, no recent review on the clinical, cognitive, and functional literature supporting the role of the cerebellum in schizophrenia. We conducted a Medline research focusing on cerebellar dysfunctions in schizophrenia. Emphasis was given to recent literature (after 1998). The picture arising from this review is heterogeneous. While in some domains, the role of the cerebellum seems clearly defined (ie, neurological soft signs, posture, or equilibrium), in other domains, the cerebellar contribution to schizophrenia seems limited or indirect (ie, cognition) if present at all (ie, affectivity). Functional models of the cerebellum are proposed as a background for interpreting these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hernàn Picard
- INSERM U796, Pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases, University Paris Descartes, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France.
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Reske M, Kellermann T, Habel U, Jon Shah N, Backes V, von Wilmsdorff M, Stöcker T, Gaebel W, Schneider F. Stability of emotional dysfunctions? A long-term fMRI study in first-episode schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2007; 41:918-27. [PMID: 17467008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2006] [Revised: 01/12/2007] [Accepted: 02/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patients with schizophrenia are characterized by emotional symptoms such as flattened affect which are accompanied by cerebral dysfunctions. This study aimed at determining changes of mood-related neural correlates under standardized pharmacological therapy in first-episode schizophrenia. METHOD Using fMRI in a longitudinal approach, 10 first-episode schizophrenia patients (6 males) and 10 healthy subjects (same education, gender and age) were investigated during sad and happy mood induction using facial expressions. Reassessments were carried out following 6 months of standardized antipsychotic treatment. Data analysis focussed on therapy-related changes in cerebral activation and on stable, therapy-independent group differences. RESULTS According to self ratings, mood induction was successful in both groups and did not reveal time-dependent changes. Patients revealed stable hypoactivations in core brain regions of emotional processing like the anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal and temporal areas as well as the hippocampus. Therapy-related signal increases in pre- and postcentral, inferior temporal and frontal areas were restricted to sadness. DISCUSSION Stable dysfunctions which are unaffected by therapy and symptom improvement were found in cortico-limbic regions crucially involved in emotion processing. They presumably reflect patients' difficulties in emotion regulation and emotional memory processes. However, therapy-related activation changes were also observed and demonstrate efficacy of antipsychotic therapy on improving emotion functionality. They may represent an increased usage of autobiographic emotional memories and an improved strategy to experience an emotion by mirroring someone else's emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Reske
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
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Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging is a surprisingly versatile tool in the quest for disentangling the complexities of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Yet, the identification of pathognomonic physiological features of the illness or even a consensus regarding the interpretation of reported findings remain unfulfilled goals, in spite of the increasing sophistication of this technology. Nonetheless, by providing quantification of brain function during various cognitive challenges, functional MRI has been used to leap ahead of these quandaries to identify relationships between genetic variation and brain function. By examining recent findings and efforts to link these findings to genes, this article will review these exciting developments in schizophrenia research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H Callicott
- Unit on Functional MRI Clinical Brain Disorders, Branch NIMH/NIH, Building 10, Room 4D-20, MSC 1389, Bethesda, MD 20892-1389, USA.
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Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a relatively new and noninvasive method of functional brain mapping. Functional MRI is increasingly being applied to the study of neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, and others. Particularly noteworthy are findings related to plasticity in the adult human brain. Despite the promise of fMRI for improving the conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, important technical and scientific issues remain. Future research will address integrating fMRI with other emerging neuroimaging techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A Wishart
- Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School/DHMC, Hanover, NH 03756, USA.
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25
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Current awareness. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2002; 15:75-86. [PMID: 11840556 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
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