Altered functional connectivity links in neuroleptic-naïve and neuroleptic-treated patients with schizophrenia, and their relation to symptoms including volition.
In order to analyze functional connectivity in untreated and treated patients with schizophrenia, resting-state fMRI data were obtained for whole-brain functional connectivity analysis from 22 first-episode neuroleptic-naïve schizophrenia (NNS), 61 first-episode neuroleptic-treated schizophrenia (NTS) patients, and 60 healthy controls (HC). Reductions were found in untreated and treated patients in the functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate gyrus and precuneus, and this was correlated with the reduction in volition from the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), that is in the willful initiation, sustenance, and control of thoughts, behavior, movements, and speech, and with the general and negative symptoms. In addition in both patient groups interhemispheric functional connectivity was weaker between the orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala and temporal pole. These functional connectivity changes and the related symptoms were not treated by the neuroleptics. Differences between the patient groups were that there were more strong functional connectivity links in the NNS patients (including in hippocampal, frontal, and striatal circuits) than in the NTS patients. These findings with a whole brain analysis in untreated and treated patients with schizophrenia provide evidence on some of the brain regions implicated in the volitional, other general, and negative symptoms, of schizophrenia that are not treated by neuroleptics so have implications for the development of other treatments; and provide evidence on some brain systems in which neuroleptics do alter the functional connectivity.
Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, PR China ; Medical Psychological Institute, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, PR China.
Weidan
W
Pu
Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience, Oxford, UK ; Dept of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
Edmund T
ET
Rolls
College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing and Stochastic Information Processing, Ministry of Education of China, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, PR China.
Shuixia
S
Guo
Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, PR China.
Haihong
H
Liu
College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing and Stochastic Information Processing, Ministry of Education of China, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, PR China.
Yun
Y
Yu
Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, PR China.
Zhimin
Z
Xue
Centre for Computational Systems Biology, School of Mathematical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China ; Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
Jianfeng
J
Feng
Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, PR China.
Zhening
Z
Liu
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012146:Rest; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014836:Volition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
Functional connectivity; Negative symptoms; Orbitofrontal cortex; Precuneus; Schizophrenia; Volition