Functional magnetic resonance imaging of schizophrenic patients and comparison subjects during word production.
OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to test the feasibility of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine changes in cortical activation in response to verbal tasks in two brain regions.


METHODS
Twelve schizophrenic patients and 11 comparison subjects underwent functional MRI of the frontal and temporal lobes. Stimulus sequences were divided into five 30-second segments by using a task-activation paradigm that alternated between resting and stimulated states. Functional images were collected every 30 seconds by using a gradient echo pulse sequence.


RESULTS
Schizophrenic subjects demonstrated significantly less left frontal activation and greater left temporal activation than comparison subjects during a word fluency task.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary data suggest that functional MRI has the sensitivity to detect differences in activation between comparison subjects and schizophrenic patients during higher cortical functions. These findings are in agreement with PET studies that reported reduced left frontal activation during challenge paradigms for the schizophrenic patients.
Yurgelun-Todd
D A
DA
McLean Brain Imaging Center, Belmont, MA 02178, USA.
Waternaux
C M
CM
Cohen
B M
BM
Gruber
S A
SA
English
C D
CD
Renshaw
P F
PF
D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*