Ventral medial prefrontal functional connectivity and emotion regulation in chronic schizophrenia: A pilot study  

作　　者：Feng-Mei Fan Shu-Ping Tan Fu-De Yang Yun-Long Tan Yan-Li Zhao Nan Chen Bin-Bin Li Chong-Sheng Song Yun-Hui Wang Zhen Jin Dong-Feng Zhou Michael P. Milham Yi-Zhuang Zou Xi-Nian Zuo 

机构地区：[1]Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital [2]Laboratory for Functional Connectome and Development, Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences [3]Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit, The 306th Hospital of PLA [4]Institute of Mental Health, Peking University [5]Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York [6]Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg

出　　处：《Neuroscience Bulletin》2013年第1期59-74,共16页神经科学通报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by grants from the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission(D0906001040191,D101107047810005,D101100050010051);the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(7102086);the Fund for Capital Medical Development and Research(2007-3059);the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81171409);Startup Foundation for Distinguished Research Professors of the Institute for Psychology(Y0CX492S03);Fund for Outstanding Talents in Beijing(2012D003034000003)

摘　　要：People with schizophrenia exhibit impaired social cognitive functions, particularly emotion regulation. Abnormal activations of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex （vMPFC） during emotional tasks have been demonstrated in schizophrenia, suggesting its important role in emotion processing in patients. We used the resting-state functional connectivity approach, setting a functionally relevant region, the vMPFC, as a seed region to examine the intrinsic functional interactions and communication between the vMPFC and other brain regions in schizophrenic patients. We found hypo-connectivity between the vMPFC and the medial frontal cortex, right middle temporal lobe （MTL）, right hippocampus, parahippocampal cortex （PHC） and amygdala. Further, there was a decreased strength of the negative connectivity （or anticorrelation） between the vMPFC and the bilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex （DLPFC） and pre-supplementary motor areas. Among these connectivity alterations, reduced vMPFC-DLPFC connectivity was positively correlated with positive symptoms on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, while vMPFC-right MTL/PHC/amygdala functional connectivity was positively correlated with the performance of emotional regulation in patients. These findings imply that communication and coordination throughout the brain networks are disrupted in schizophrenia. The emotional correlates of vMPFC connectivity suggest a role of the hypo-connectivity between these regions in the neuropathology of abnormal social cognition in chronic schizophrenia.People with schizophrenia exhibit impaired social cognitive functions, particularly emotion regulation. Abnormal activations of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex （vMPFC） during emotional tasks have been demonstrated in schizophrenia, suggesting its important role in emotion processing in patients. We used the resting-state functional connectivity approach, setting a functionally relevant region, the vMPFC, as a seed region to examine the intrinsic functional interactions and communication between the vMPFC and other brain regions in schizophrenic patients. We found hypo-connectivity between the vMPFC and the medial frontal cortex, right middle temporal lobe （MTL）, right hippocampus, parahippocampal cortex （PHC） and amygdala. Further, there was a decreased strength of the negative connectivity （or anticorrelation） between the vMPFC and the bilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex （DLPFC） and pre-supplementary motor areas. Among these connectivity alterations, reduced vMPFC-DLPFC connectivity was positively correlated with positive symptoms on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, while vMPFC-right MTL/PHC/amygdala functional connectivity was positively correlated with the performance of emotional regulation in patients. These findings imply that communication and coordination throughout the brain networks are disrupted in schizophrenia. The emotional correlates of vMPFC connectivity suggest a role of the hypo-connectivity between these regions in the neuropathology of abnormal social cognition in chronic schizophrenia.

关 键 词：SCHIZOPHRENIA emotion regulation ventral medial prefrontal cortex functional connectivity resting state functional MRI 

分 类 号：R749.3[医药卫生—神经病学与精神病学]