Brain volume and dysexecutive behavior in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Behaviors associated with frontal/executive impairments are common in patients with schizophrenia. Our aim was to reconfirm that morphological brain abnormalities in schizophrenia patients would overlap the areas underpinning frontal systems behavior, and examine whether any specific association exists between abnormalities of brain structures and frontal behavioral deficits in schizophrenia patients.


METHODS
Twenty-six schizophrenia patients and 26 matched healthy controls underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and their frontal function was assessed by a self-rating questionnaire, Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe). We applied voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate regional brain volume alternations.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy controls, schizophrenia patients showed reduced gray matter volume in multiple frontal and temporal structures, namely, the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC), bilateral medial prefrontal cortices, left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral anterior cingulate cortices, and bilateral superior temporal gyri. The scores on the executive dysfunction subscale of the FrSBe were correlated with volume reduction in the bilateral DLPFC in the patient group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our result suggests that pathology of the DLPFC could be the neural basis of real-life dysexecutive behaviors in schizophrenia patients.
Kawada
Ryosaku
R
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. ryo2323@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Yoshizumi
Miho
M
Hirao
Kazuyuki
K
Fujiwara
Hironobu
H
Miyata
Jun
J
Shimizu
Mitsuaki
M
Namiki
Chihiro
C
Sawamoto
Nobukatsu
N
Fukuyama
Hidenao
H
Hayashi
Takuji
T
Murai
Toshiya
T
D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D012649:Self Concept; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires