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Resting state perfusion in the language network is linked to formal thought disorder and poor functional outcome in schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Stegmayer K.,
Stettler M.,
Strik W.,
Federspiel A.,
Wiest R.,
Bohlhalter S.,
Walther S.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/acps.12790
Subject(s) - psychology , cerebral blood flow , supramarginal gyrus , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , inferior frontal gyrus , resting state fmri , thought disorder , neuroscience , neuroimaging , functional magnetic resonance imaging , cardiology , audiology , medicine , psychiatry , cognition
Objective Formal thought disorder (FTD) is a core symptom in schizophrenia. Here, we focus on resting state cerebral blood flow (rCBF) linked to dimensions of FTD. Methods We included 47 schizophrenia spectrum patients and 30 age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls. We assessed FTD with the assessment of thought, language, and communication (TLC) and imaging on a 3T MRI scanner. Within patients, we tested the association of FTD dimensions and in a subgroup ( n = 27) the association of functional outcome after 6 months with whole brain rCBF. Results Negative FTD was most prominently associated with perfusion within the superior temporal gyrus, while positive FTD was associated with perfusion within the supplementary motor area, and inferior frontal gyrus. Perfusion within the left supramarginal gyrus was associated with social functioning after 6 months. Conclusions Distinguishable associations of rCBF with FTD dimensions point to distinct underlying pathophysiology. The location of aberrant perfusion patterns suggests that negative FTD might reflect defective access to semantic memory while positive FTD likely reflects defective suppression of irrelevant information during increased speech production. Finally, the neural correlates of thought block were also predictive of poor functional outcome. Thus, functional outcome and distinct FTD dimensions may share some pathophysiology.