FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS AND COMPARISON SUBJECTS DURING WORD PRODUCTION

Objective: This study was undertaken to test the feasibility of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine changes in cort ical activation in response to verbal tasks in two brain regions. Meth od: Twelve schizophrenic patients and 11 comparison subjects underwent functional MRI of the frontal and temporal lobes. Stimulus sequences were divided into five 30-second segments by using a task-activation p aradigm that alternated between resting and stimulated states. Functio nal images were collected every 30 seconds by using a gradient echo pu lse sequence. Results: Schizophrenic subjects demonstrated significant ly less left frontal activation and greater left temporal activation t han comparison subjects during a word fluency task. Conclusions: These preliminary data suggest that functional MRI has the sensitivity to d etect differences in activation between comparison subjects and schizo phrenic patients during higher cortical functions. These functions are in agreement with PET studies that reported reduced left frontal acti vation during challenge paradigms for the schizophrenic patients.