Functional neuroimaging of working memory in schizophrenia: task performance as a moderating variable.
Functional neuroimaging studies in schizophrenia have demonstrated abnormal activation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during working memory (WM) performance. However, findings of increased and decreased activity have been reported. The authors used meta-analysis to investigate whether diverging results arise as a function of differential WM task performance between patients and control participants. Results indicate that the magnitude of the group difference in WM performance is a moderator of DLPFC activation differences, and concepts such as hypo- or hyperfrontality do not universally characterize WM findings in schizophrenia. Thus, the variability in the WM activation findings between participants with schizophrenia and control participants reflects the specific conditions under which WM functions are evaluated, not just the WM construct per se.
Van Snellenberg
Jared X
JX
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Torres
Ivan J
IJ
Thornton
Allen E
AE
D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology