This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.This study will initially evaluate the functional and effective connectivity during development of the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) with other brain regions during a spatial working memory task. The study will subsequently involve the development of methodologies to couple functional magentic resonance imaging (fMRI) with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The hypotheses of the methodology development portion of the study are that (1) structural equation modeling can be utilized to combine fMRI and DTI and explain the specific alterations in functional connectivity of the prefrontal cortex during normal development; and (2) coupling fMRI and DTI utilizing path analysis techniques can be used to adjust for the structural and functional variability between individuals. The second goal of the present study is to apply the methodologies above to the study of normal neurodevelopment and children and adolescents with schizophrenia. The two primary hypotheses for this portion of the study are that (1) neurodevelopment involves the maturation of prefrontal white matter and that this age-related maturation is directly correlated with performance on (a) a spatial working memory task, (b) the effective connectivity; and (c) a decrease in functional heterogeneity of the fMRI signal; and (2) patients with schizophrenia lack the ability to optimize the functional architecture across cognitive domains during development.
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