title: Plasticity of prefrontal cortex connectivity in schizophrenia in response to antisaccade practice.
abstract: People with schizophrenia exhibit difficulties in cognitive control that are often attributed to deficits in prefrontal cortex (PFC) circuitry. Practice paradigms have been used to improve these PFC-mediated deficits. The neural consequences of practice on task-based PFC activation have been addressed. Effects on task-based PFC connectivity, however, are largely unknown. We recruited people with schizophrenia and controls to practice antisaccades, a measure of PFC-mediated cognitive control that is disrupted in people with schizophrenia. Subjects performed antisaccades during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after eight days of antisaccade practice. A group (schizophrenia, controls) × time (pre-, post-test) repeated measures ANOVA on the results of a psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis was used to evaluate changes in PFC connectivity; a similar model was used to evaluate changes in antisaccade behavior. After practice, antisaccade behavior improved and PFC connectivity with insular/temporal regions (involved in bottom-up orienting processes) increased in the schizophrenia group. The level of connectivity at post-test in the schizophrenia group was similar to that seen at pre-test in controls and positively correlated with antisaccade performance. Increases in connectivity between bottom-up and top-down regions may underlie behavioral improvements in people with schizophrenia after cognitive control practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rodrigue
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. Electronic address: jemcd@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McDowell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Cognitive control; FMRI; Psychophysiological interaction