title: Increased intrinsic brain activity in the striatum reflects symptom dimensions in schizophrenia.
abstract: Striatal dysfunction is thought to be a fundamental element in schizophrenia. Striatal dopamine dysfunction impacts on reward processing and learning and is present even at rest. Here, we addressed the question whether and how spontaneous neuronal activity in the striatum is altered in schizophrenia. We therefore assessed intrinsic striatal activity and its relation with disorder states and symptom dimensions in patients with schizophrenia. We performed resting-state functional (rs-fMRI) and structural magnetic resonance imaging as well as psychometric assessment in 21 schizophrenic patients during psychosis. On average 9 months later, we acquired follow-up data during psychotic remission and with comparable levels of antipsychotic medication. Twenty-one age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Independent component analysis of fMRI data yielded spatial maps and time-courses of coherent ongoing blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal fluctuations, which were used for group comparisons and correlation analyses with scores of the positive and negative syndrome scale. During psychosis, coherent intrinsic activity of the striatum was increased in the dorsal part and correlated with positive symptoms such as delusion and hallucination. In psychotic remission of the same patients, activity of the ventral striatum was increased and correlated with negative symptoms such as emotional withdrawal and blunted affect. Results were controlled for volumetric and medication effects. These data provide first evidence that in schizophrenia intrinsic activity is changed in the striatum and corresponds to disorder states and symptom dimensions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sorg
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manoliu
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neufang
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schwerthöffer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherr
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mühlau
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drzezga
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Förstl
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bäuml
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eichele
authors.forename: Afra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wohlschläger
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Riedl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult