ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate functional connectivity between the two hemispheres in patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia using voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity ( VMHC ) based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods Eighteen patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia and 22 healthy controls underwent the rs-fMRI. The whole brain VMHC was calculated in order to provide imaging basis for the study of the pathological mechanism of schizophrenia. Results Compared to the controls, VMHC values were decreased in the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex (t=-5.31, P<0.01), fusiform gyrus (t=-5.16, P<0.01), middle occipital gyrus (t=-5.31, P<0.01) in patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Conclusion The functional coordination between homotopic brain regions is impaired in patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia .