Functional deficit in the medial prefrontal cortex during a language comprehension task in patients with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia Research. 2008-02-01; 99(1-3): 304-311
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2007.11.016
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1. Schizophr Res. 2008 Feb;99(1-3):304-11. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2007.11.016.
Functional deficit in the medial prefrontal cortex during a language
comprehension task in patients with schizophrenia.
Dollfus S(1), Razafimandimby A, Maiza O, Lebain P, Brazo P, Beaucousin V,
Lecardeur L, Delamillieure P, Mazoyer B, Tzourio-Mazoyer N.
Author information:
(1)Groupe d’Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, UMR 6194 CNRS/CEA/Université de Caen,
Université Paris 5, Centre Cyceron, Bl H. Becquerel, Caen, 14000, France.
OBJECTIVE: We and others have observed that patients with schizophrenia commonly
presented a reduced left recruitment in language semantic brain regions. However,
most studies include patients with leftward and rightward lateralizations for
language. We investigated whether a cohort comprised purely of patients with
typical lateralization (leftward) presented a reduced left recruitment in
semantic regions during a language comprehension task. The goal was to reduce the
inter-subject variability and thus improve the resolution for studying functional
abnormalities in the language network.
METHODS: Twenty-three patients with schizophrenia (DSM-IV) were matched with
healthy subjects in age, sex, level of education and handedness. All patients
exhibited leftward lateralization for language. Functional MRI was performed as
subjects listened to a story comprising characters and social interactions.
Functional MRI signal variations were analyzed individually and compared among
groups.
RESULTS: Although no differences were observed in the recruitment of the semantic
language network, patients with schizophrenia presented significantly lower
signal variations compared to controls in the medial part of the left superior
frontal gyrus (MF1) (x=-6, y=58, z=20; Z(score)=5.6; p