TY - JOUR
T1 - Motor dysfunction and sensorimotor cortex activation changes in schizophrenia
T2 - A study with functional magnetic resonance imaging
AU - Schröder, Johannes
AU - Essig, Marco
AU - Baudendistel, Klaus
AU - Jahn, Thomas
AU - Gerdsen, Ingo
AU - Stockert, Andreas
AU - Schad, Lothar R.
AU - Knopp, Michael V.
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was supported by the ‘‘Forschungsschwerpunkt-programm des Landes Baden-Württemberg.’’
PY - 1999/1
Y1 - 1999/1
N2 - Recent studies demonstrate a diminished activation of the sensorimotor cortex and supplementary motor area (SMA) in schizophrenia which may be involved in the pathogenesis of neurological soft signs (NSS). Yet, the question whether a retarded motor performance may account for these changes remained to be clarified. Twelve DSM-III-R schizophrenics and 12 healthy controls were included. All subjects were right-handed. Nine patients received clozapine, two conventional neuroleptics, and one was drug-free. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was obtained in a resting condition and during pronation/supination at three speed levels (low, medium, and high) with motor performance recorded simultaneously using a pronation/supination device. While measures of motor retardation (i.e., repetition rate and amplitude of the movements) did not differ between patients and controls, the variability of performance was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the patients' group. In addition, patients with schizophrenia showed a significantly (P < 0.05) decreased activation of the sensorimotor cortices. Similar, although nonsignificant (P = 0.09) activation changes were observed in the SMA. Activation differences were more pronounced at a slow speed and in the drug-free patient. These results confirm a diminished sensorimotor cortex and SMA activation and indicate that variability of performance rather than retarded performance per se may correspond to these changes.
AB - Recent studies demonstrate a diminished activation of the sensorimotor cortex and supplementary motor area (SMA) in schizophrenia which may be involved in the pathogenesis of neurological soft signs (NSS). Yet, the question whether a retarded motor performance may account for these changes remained to be clarified. Twelve DSM-III-R schizophrenics and 12 healthy controls were included. All subjects were right-handed. Nine patients received clozapine, two conventional neuroleptics, and one was drug-free. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was obtained in a resting condition and during pronation/supination at three speed levels (low, medium, and high) with motor performance recorded simultaneously using a pronation/supination device. While measures of motor retardation (i.e., repetition rate and amplitude of the movements) did not differ between patients and controls, the variability of performance was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the patients' group. In addition, patients with schizophrenia showed a significantly (P < 0.05) decreased activation of the sensorimotor cortices. Similar, although nonsignificant (P = 0.09) activation changes were observed in the SMA. Activation differences were more pronounced at a slow speed and in the drug-free patient. These results confirm a diminished sensorimotor cortex and SMA activation and indicate that variability of performance rather than retarded performance per se may correspond to these changes.
KW - Functional magnetic resonance imaging
KW - Neurological soft signs
KW - Schizophrenia
KW - Sensorimotor cortex
KW - Supplementary motor area
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0345062358&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1006/nimg.1998.0387
DO - 10.1006/nimg.1998.0387
M3 - Article
C2 - 9918729
AN - SCOPUS:0345062358
SN - 1053-8119
VL - 9
SP - 81
EP - 87
JO - NeuroImage
JF - NeuroImage
IS - 1
ER -