Prefrontal hyperactivation during a working memory task in early-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders: An fMRI study

Abstract Working memory (WM) dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a core feature of schizophrenia, but few studies have investigated prefrontal activation during WM tasks in early-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorder (EOS). Our aim was to explore prefrontal activation during a WM-task in EOS p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging 2011-12, Vol.194 (3), p.257-262
Main Authors: Thormodsen, Rune, Jensen, Jimmy, Holmèn, Aina, Juuhl-Langseth, Monica, Emblem, Kyrre Eeg, Andreassen, Ole Andreas, Rund, Bjørn Rishovd
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
0-back
2-back
Adolescent
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Analysis of Variance
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Mapping
Female
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Maintenance
Male
Medical sciences
Memory Disorders - etiology
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
n-back
Neuropsychological Tests
Oxygen - blood
Prefrontal Cortex - blood supply
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychoses
Radiology
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - complications
Schizophrenia - pathology
Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex
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Summary:Abstract Working memory (WM) dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a core feature of schizophrenia, but few studies have investigated prefrontal activation during WM tasks in early-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorder (EOS). Our aim was to explore prefrontal activation during a WM-task in EOS patients compared to healthy controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Fifteen patients with EOS and 15 matched healthy controls performed a 0-back and a 2-back task while fMRI data were acquired. Results indicated that even though performance between patients and controls was comparable on both tasks, there was a hyperactivation in patients' ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) during the 2-back task compared to healthy controls. This pattern of activation suggests that, in patients with EOS, the VLPFC compensated in order to match performance of the controls. The activations in the EOS group may reflect the use of a compensatory, cognitive strategy while solving WM-tasks.
ISSN:0925-4927
1872-7506
DOI:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2011.05.011