Cortical response to motor stimulation in neuroleptic-naive first episode schizophrenics

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the cortical response to m otor stimulation in neuroleptic-naive first episode schizophrenics in compa rison to matched controls using a high speed functional magnetic resonance imaging technique (fMRI). Twelve patients satisfying ICD 10 criteria (F20.0 ) for schizophrenia (paranoid subtype) as well as sex- and age-matched heal thy volunteers participated in this study. All subjects underwent fMRI exam ination on a conventional 1.5 T MR unit equipped with an echo-planar imagin g booster. The blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response of the sensorim otor cortex and the higher order SMA region was evaluated during performanc e of a left hand sequential finger opposition task. Special care was taken to minimize performance and motion artifacts. Patients and controls showed no notable difference with respect to laterality, changes of signal intensi ty or spatial extent of activation within the primary and higher order moto r regions. Using high speed fMRI no fundamental motor cortical dysfunction was evident in a group of paranoid neuroleptic-naive first episode schizoph renic patients. In contrast to data previously reported for chronic disorga nized medicated patients, these results suggest that motor dysfunction is n ot part of the phenomenology of acute paranoid first episode patients. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.