title: Examining frontotemporal connectivity and rTMS in healthy controls: implications for auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to have clinically beneficial effects in altering the perception of auditory hallucinations (AH) in patients with schizophrenia. However, the mode of action is not clear. Recent neuroimaging findings indicate that rTMS has the potential to induce not only local effects but also changes in remote, functionally connected brain regions. Frontotemporal dysconnectivity has been proposed as a mechanism leading to psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia. The current study examines functional connectivity between temporal and frontal brain regions after rTMS and the implications for AH in schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A connectivity analysis was conducted on the fMRI data of 11 healthy controls receiving rTMS, compared with 11 matched subjects receiving sham TMS, to the temporoparietal junction, before engaging in a task associated with robust frontotemporal activation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the control group, the rTMS group showed an altered frontotemporal connectivity with stronger connectivity between the right temporoparietal cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the angular gyrus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding provides preliminary evidence for the hypothesis that normalizing the functional connectivity between the temporoparietal and frontal brain regions may underlie the therapeutic effect of rTMS on AH in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosis Studies, CSI Lab, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London.
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Gromann
authors.forename: Derek K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Tracy
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giampietro
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brammer
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krabbendam
authors.forename: Sukhwinder S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shergill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*