Structural and functional reorganization of working memory system during the first decade in schizophrenia. A cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Progressive atrophy occurs in brain regions involved in the working memory network along the schizophrenia's course, but without parallel evolution of working memory impairment. We investigated the functional organization inside this network at different stages of the disease.


METHODS
Twenty-eight patients with schizophrenia (16 with long disease duration (>60 months) and 12 with short disease duration (<60 months)) and eleven healthy controls underwent structural and functional MRI during an n-back task to determine atrophy and activation patterns.


RESULTS
At similar n-back performances and relative to short disease duration patients, long disease duration patients activated more frontal temporal parietal and frontal network during 0-back and 1-back tasks respectively. n-back scores were correlated to atrophy in the frontal-temporal areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Functional reorganization in the working memory network may play a compensatory role during the first ten years of schizophrenia.
Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM) UMR AMU-CNRS 7339, Medical School of Marseille, France; Centre d'exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (CEMEREM) UMR AMU-CNRS 7339, Timone University Hospital, AP-HM, Marseille, France; Department of Psychiatry, Sainte-Marguerite University Hospital, 13009 Marseille, France; Department of Public Health, Timone University Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, 13005 Marseille, France. Electronic address: catherine.faget@ap-hm.fr1.
C
C
Faget-Agius
L
L
Boyer
C
C
Lançon
R
R
Richieri
E
E
Fassio
E
E
Soulier
V
V
Chanoine
P
P
Auquier
J P
JP
Ranjeva
M
M
Guye
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
D010100:Oxygen
Disease duration; Functional MRI; Schizophrenia; Working memory