Working memory processing of facial images in schizophrenia: fMRI investigation.
Impaired processing of facial information is one of the broad ranges of cognitive deficits seen in patients with schizophrenia. This study aimed to elucidate the differences in brain activities involved in the process of facial working memory (images of neutral faces as mnemonic content) between schizophrenic patients and healthy comparison subjects using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Group comparison analysis revealed aberrant activities from the patient group in several cortical areas, including the left fusiform gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyri/insula, and left middle temporal gyrus. A decreased level of activity in the left fusiform gyrus, along with performance reduction, implicates abnormal processing of facial information in schizophrenia.
Yoo
Seung-Schik
SS
Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02446, USA.
Choi
Byung-Gil
BG
Juh
Ra-Hyeong
RH
Park
Joo-Mi
JM
Pae
Chi-Un
CU
Kim
Jung-Jin
JJ
Lee
Soo-Jung
SJ
Lee
Chul
C
Paik
In-Ho
IH
Lee
Chang-Uk
CU
D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*