title: Left fronto-temporal dysconnectivity within the language network in schizophrenia: an fMRI and DTI study.
abstract: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by language disorders. Studies reveal that both a functional dysconnectivity and a disturbance in the integrity of white matter fibers are implicated in the language process in patients with schizophrenia. Here, we investigate the relationship between functional connectivity within a language-comprehension network and anatomical connectivity using fiber tracking in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that patients would present an impaired functional connectivity in the language network due to anatomical dysconnectivity. Participants comprised 20 patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls who were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging. The temporal correlation coefficient and diffusion values between the left frontal and temporal clusters, belonging to the language network, were individually extracted, in order to study the relationships of anatomo-functional connectivity. In patients, functional connectivity was positively correlated with fractional anisotropy, but was negatively correlated with radial diffusivity and/or mean diffusivity, in the left arcuate fasciculus and part of the inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus, determined as the fronto-temporal tracts. Our findings indicate a close relationship between functional and anatomical dysconnectivity in patients with schizophrenia. The disturbance in the integrity of the left fronto-temporal tracts might be one origin of the functional dysconnectivity in the language-comprehension network in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: CHU de Caen, Service de Psychiatrie, Centre Esquirol, Caen F-14000, France; CNRS, UMR 6301 ISTCT, ISTS team, GIP CYCERON, Bd Henri Becquerel, BP5229, F-14074 Caen cedex, France. Electronic address: eleroux@cyceron.fr.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leroux
authors.affiliation: CNRS, UMS 3408, GIP CYCERON, Bd Henri Becquerel, BP5229, F-14074 Caen cedex, France. Electronic address: delcroix@cyceron.fr.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Delcroix
authors.affiliation: CHU de Caen, Service de Psychiatrie, Centre Esquirol, Caen F-14000, France; CNRS, UMR 6301 ISTCT, ISTS team, GIP CYCERON, Bd Henri Becquerel, BP5229, F-14074 Caen cedex, France; Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UFR de médecine (Medical School), Caen F-14000, France. Electronic address: dollfus-s@chu-caen.fr.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dollfus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Anatomo-functional dysconnectivity; Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); Schizophrenia; Tractography; White matter