Regional gray matter reduction and theory of mind deficit in the early phase of schizophrenia: a voxel-based morphometric study.
OBJECTIVE
We tested the association between theory of mind (ToM) performance and structural changes in the brains of patients in the early course of schizophrenia.


METHODS
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) data of 18 patients with schizophrenia were compared with those of 21 controls. ToM skills were assessed by computerized faux pas (FP) tasks.


RESULTS
Patients with schizophrenia performed significantly worse in FP tasks than healthy subjects. VBM revealed significantly reduced gray matter density in certain frontal, temporal and subcortical regions in patients with schizophrenia. Poor FP performance of schizophrenics correlated with gray matter reduction in the left orbitofrontal cortex and right temporal pole.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate an association between poor ToM performance and regional gray matter reduction in the left orbitofrontal cortex and right temporal pole shortly after the onset of schizophrenia.
Herold
R
R
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary. robert.herold@aok.pte.hu
Feldmann
A
A
Simon
M
M
Tényi
T
T
Kövér
F
F
Nagy
F
F
Varga
E
E
Fekete
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D018187:Personal Construct Theory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult