In search of neural mechanisms of mirror neuron dysfunction in schizophrenia: resting state functional connectivity approach

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00023752%3A_____%2F15%3A43914877" target="_blank" >RIV/00023752:_____/15:43914877 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

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DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

In search of neural mechanisms of mirror neuron dysfunction in schizophrenia: resting state functional connectivity approach

Original language description

Schizophrenia patients have immense alterations in goal-directed behaviour, social cognition interactions, cognitive abilities that are presumably driven by the mirror neurons system. The neural bases of these deficits still remain unclear. Along with the task-related fMRI and EEG research tapping into the mirror neuron system, the characteristics of the resting state activity in the particular areas that encompass mirror neurons might be of interest as they obviously determine the baseline of the neuronal activity. Using resting state fMRI, we investigated resting state functional connectivity (FC) in 4 predefined brain structures, ROIs (inferior frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, premotor cortex, superior temporal gyrus), known for their mirror neurons activity, in 12 patients with first psychotic episode and 12 matched healthy individuals. As a specific hypothesis, based on the knowledge of the anatomical inputs of thalamus to all preselected ROIs, we have investigated the FC between thalamus and the ROIs. Of all ROIs included, seed-to-voxel connectivity analysis revealed significantly decreased FC only in left posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the areas in visual cortex and cerebellum in patients as compared to controls. Using ROI-to-ROI analysis, we have found an increased FC of STG and bilateral thalamus whereas the FC of these areas was decreased in controls. Our results suggest that: schizophrenia patients exhibit FC of STG which corresponds to the previously reported changes of superior temporal gyrus in schizophrenia and might contribute to the disturbances of specific functions, such as emotional processing or spatial awareness; as the thalamus plays a pivotal role in the sensory gating, providing the filtering of the redundant stimulation, the observed hyperconnectivity between the thalami and the STGs in patients with schizophrenia might explain the sequential overload with sensory inputs that leads to the abnormal cognitive processing.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_x - Unclassified - Peer-reviewed scientific article (Jimp, Jsc and Jost)

CEP classification

FL - Psychiatry, sexology

OECD FORD branch

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Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2015

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Psychiatria Danubina

ISSN

0353-5053

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

27

Issue of the periodical within the volume

Suppl. 1

Country of publishing house

HR - CROATIA

Number of pages

4

Pages from-to

269-272

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-84952791784