title: Functional magnetic resonance imaging correlates of memory encoding in relation to achieving remission in first-episode schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies in schizophrenia have shown a strong relationship between memory deficits and a poor clinical outcome. However, no previous study has identified the functional neural correlates of memory encoding in relation to remission.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation patterns differed between individuals that later achieved remission v. those who did not.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two participants with first-episode schizophrenia were divided into two groups after 1 year of treatment as per the 2005 remission in schizophrenia consensus definition. We then examined fMRI activation using three contrasts (associative v. item-oriented strategy, semantically unrelated v. related image pairs, and successful v. unsuccessful memory encoding) among 15 participants who had achieved remission (remitted group), 27 who had not (non-remitted group) and 31 healthy controls (control group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants in the non-remitted group displayed a positive activation in the posterior cingulate compared with those in the remitted group when encoding related images; no significant differences between the two groups were identified for the other contrasts. From the behavioural data, compared with the remitted and control groups, the non-remitted group demonstrated an inability to encode related images and displayed worse recognition memory overall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to identify differential neural activation between individuals with first-episode schizophrenia that later achieved remission v. those who did not. The behavioural and functional results together add to the growing evidence relating a poor clinical outcome in schizophrenia to memory-related deficits.
authors.affiliation: Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Frank B Common Pavilion, 6875 LaSalle Blvd, Verdun, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bodnar
authors.forename: Amelie M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Achim
authors.forename: Ashok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Malla
authors.forename: Ridha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joober
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lepage
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000503:physiopathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult