title: Integrative neuropsychological characteristics of subcortical-frontal brain regions as a schizophrenia liability factor.
abstract: In order to study neuropsychological characteristics of subcortical-frontal brain regions function and assessment of their relation with vulnerability to schizophrenia 59 patients and 23 controls were investigated using Luria's neuropsychological methods. The analysis established bilateral abnormalities of the function of prefrontal and profound frontal lobe zones in patients as compared with controls. These abnormalities were more predominate in the left hemisphere. Point biserial correlation coefficients of determined integrative neuropsychological indicators with liability to schizophrenia were 0.39 +/- 0.11 and 0.28 +/- 0.09, for the left and right brain zones respectively. The obtained data permits discussion of the integrative neuropsychological indicators of subcortical-frontal brain regions as potential markers of liability to schizophrenia and confirms the role of structural and functional brain asymmetry in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Research Centre, Russian Academy of Medical Science, Moscow, Russia. vorlova@yandex.ru
authors.forename: Vera A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Orlova
authors.forename: Nina I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Voskresenskaya
authors.forename: Nina P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Shcherbakova
authors.forename: Natalia K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Korsakova
authors.forename: Tatiana D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Savina
authors.forename: Elena P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Solenova
authors.forename: Natalia N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Efanova
authors.forename: Julia V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Malova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*