Cognitive performance in relation to MRI temporal lobe volume in schizophrenic patients and healthy control subjects

The aim of this study was to identify whether specific deficits in cognitiv e processing are present in schizophrenia and whether these ave related to the volume of temporal and limbic structures. Twenty-seven schizophrenic ou tpatients were compared with 19 matched control subjects. Compared with con trol subjects, patients performed complex tasks disproportionately worse th an they performed simple tasks, No group differences were found with regard to temporal and limbic volume. Volume of the parahippocampal gyrus was cor relate with cognitive performance. The findings are interpreted as evidence for a dysfunction in the maintenance of task-relevant information and the inhibition of irrelevant information.