Neural activation during natural speech and rests in patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders : an fMRI pilot trial
Background: In schizophrenia patients, spontaneous speech production has been hypothesized as correlating with right hemispheric activation, including the inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri as speech-relevant areas. However, robust evidence for this association is still missing. The aim...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Philipps-Universität Marburg
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | PDF Full Text |
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| Summary: | Background: In schizophrenia patients, spontaneous speech production has
been hypothesized as correlating with right hemispheric activation, including the
inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri as speech-relevant areas. However,
robust evidence for this association is still missing. The aim of the present fMRI
study is to examine BOLD signal changes during natural, fluent speech
production in patients with schizophrenia in the chronic phase of their disease.
Methods: Using a case–control design, the study included 15 right-handed
patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders as well as 15 healthy controls.
The participants described eight pictures from the Thematic Apperception Test
for 1 min each, while BOLD signal changes were measured with 3T fMRI. The
occurrence of positive and negative formal thought disorders was determined
using standardized psychopathological assessments.
Results: We found significant BOLD signal changes during spontaneous speech
production in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls, particularly
in the right hemispheric network. A post-hoc analysis showed that this righthemispheric
lateralization was mainly driven by activation during experimental
rests. Furthermore, the TLI sum value in patients correlated negatively with BOLD
signal changes in the right Rolandic operculum.
Conclusions: Possible underlying factors for this inverse right-hemispheric
lateralization of speech-associated areas are structural changes and transmitter
system alterations, as well as a lack of neural downregulation in schizophrenia
patients during rest periods due to dysfunctional executive functions. When
examining spontaneous speech as the most natural form of language, other
influencing factors, such as social cognition or emotional processing, should be
considered. Our results indicate that future studies should consider group
differences during rest, which might provide additional information typically
covered in differential contrasts. |
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| Item Description: | Gefördert durch den Open-Access-Publikationsfonds der UB Marburg. |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1402818 |