Schizophrenia is an illness with multiple symptom manifestations that cluster into at three domains: (1) reality distortion (hallucinations and delusions), (2) negative symptoms (psychomotor retardation), and (3) disorganization (thought disorder). We have previously associated distinctive rCBF patterns with positive and negative symptom domains, supporting the idea of rCBF differences across symptom subtypes. In addition to symptoms, persons with schizophrenia show inadequate neuropsychological performance when evaluated on test of intelligence, memory, attention, and executive function. Blood oxygen level dependent contrast (BOLD) analysis using fMRI, focused on questions of integrative neurobiology in schizophrenia subtypes (particular symptom groups), brings a contemporary research technique to bear on a complex clinical brain/behavior disorder. We will assess performance improvement on a visual DMST with feedback in 15 schizophrenic patients with primary enduring negative symptoms (Deficit Schizophrenia or DS) and 15 schizophrenic patients with predominant hallucinations and delusions (Reality Distortion or RD). We predict that schizophrenic volunteers will show learning but that the deficit group will fail to improve as much as the RD group because the deficit volunteers will not be able to use feedback to enhance their learning. Using BOLD signal changes we will define the neural activity patterns in DS and RD volunteers during learning of the visual DMST. The RD will exhibit a significant increase in the anterior cingulate hemodynamic response after perceptual training. DS volunteers will exhibit a significantly reduced BOLD response in the inferior parietal lobe before and after training. Enduring primary negative symptoms are also expected to prevent feedback-dependent changes in the cingulate cortex. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
5R03MH071473-02
Application #
7056201
Study Section
Adult Psychopathology and Disorders of Aging Study Section (APDA)
Program Officer
Meinecke, Douglas L
Project Start
2005-04-20
Project End
2008-03-31
Budget Start
2006-04-01
Budget End
2008-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$57,070
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218
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Cascella, Nicola G; Schretlen, David J; Sawa, Akira (2009) Schizophrenia and epilepsy: is there a shared susceptibility? Neurosci Res 63:227-35
Kamiya, Atsushi; Tan, Perciliz L; Kubo, Ken-ichiro et al. (2008) Recruitment of PCM1 to the centrosome by the cooperative action of DISC1 and BBS4: a candidate for psychiatric illnesses. Arch Gen Psychiatry 65:996-1006
Cascella, Nicola G; Takaki, Manabu; Lin, Sandra et al. (2007) Neurodevelopmental involvement in schizophrenia: the olfactory epithelium as an alternative model for research. J Neurochem 102:587-94