title: Abnormal interactions of verbal- and spatial-memory networks in young people at familial high-risk for schizophrenia.
abstract: Working memory impairment (especially in verbal and spatial domains) is the core neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia and the familial high-risk (FHR) population. Inconsistent results have been reported in clinical and neuroimaging studies examining the verbal- and spatial-memory deficits in the FHR subjects, due to sample differences and lack of understanding on interactions of the brain regions for processing verbal- and spatial-working memory.
  
  
  
  Functional MRI data acquired during a verbal- vs. spatial-memory task were included from 51 young adults [26 FHR and 25 controls]. Group comparisons were conducted in brain activation patterns responding to 1) verbal-memory condition (A), 2) spatial-memory condition (B), 3) verbal higher than spatial (A-B), 4) spatial higher than verbal (B-A), 5) conjunction of brain regions that were activated during both A and B (A∧B). Group difference of the laterality index (LI) in inferior frontal lobe for condition A was also assessed.
  
  
  
  Compared to controls, the FHR group exhibited significantly decreased brain activity in left inferior frontal during A, and significantly stronger involvement of ACC, PCC, paracentral gyrus for the contrast of A-B. The LI showed a trend of reduced left-higher-than-right pattern for verbal-memory processing in the HR group.
  
  
  
  Our findings suggest that in the entire functional brain network for working-memory processing, verbal information processing associated brain pathways are significantly altered in people at familial high risk for developing schizophrenia. Future studies will need to examine whether these alterations may indicate vulnerability for predicting the onset of Schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA; Department of Electric and Computer Engineering, , New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA. Electronic address: xli.aecom@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Heidi W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Thermenos
authors.affiliation: Department of Electric and Computer Engineering, , New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Ziyan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Momura
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Beth Israel-Deakoness Hospital, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Matcheri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keshavan
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Beth Israel-Deakoness Hospital, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seidman
authors.affiliation: VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Lynn E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: DeLisi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D065852:Spatial Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Functional MRI; High-risk; Language; Schizophrenia; Spatial working memory; Verbal working memory