Functional disconnection of the semantic networks in schizophrenia

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 355 - 359
• Main Authors: Kim, Jae-Jin, Ho Seok, Jeong, Park, Hae-Jeong, Soo Lee, Dong, Chul Lee, Myung, Soo Kwon, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 15-03-2005; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Nerve Net - physiology; Photic Stimulation - methods; Positron-Emission Tomography - methods; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - physiopathology; Human; Functional connectivity; Positron-emission tomography; Central nervous system; Schizophrenia; Activation; Brain activation; Encephalon; Psychosis; Semantic processing; Semantics; Information processing; Emission tomography
• ISSN: 0959-4965; 1473-558X
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200503150-00010

Patients with schizophrenia exhibit deficits in semantic processing, which can form the basis of thought disorders. The objective of this study was to explore functional connectivity between the activated areas during semantic processing in schizophrenia. Twelve patients with schizophrenia and 12 healthy controls were studied with [O]H2O positron-emission tomography during semantic judgment. The expected activation in the left inferior occipitotemporal cortex significantly correlated with several other regional activations in normal study participants, but with no other regional activations in patients with schizophrenia. This finding suggests that schizophrenia involves a disconnection of semantic networks. The resultant distortion in semantic processing may have an impact on thought disorders.