Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Working Memory in Patients with Schizophrenia / 中国心理卫生杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the central mechanism of working memory impairments experienced by patients with schizophrenia.Methods:Using block-design,ten normal and twenty patients with schizophrenia perform digital recognition(remember two or five digitals simultaneous and make judgment about whether the digital presented latter is that appeared before)and direction judgment of arrows(toward to left or right)while proceeding blood-oxygen level dependent contrast functional magnetic resonance imaging(BOLD-fMRI).Results:On the condition of same cognitive load,abnormal activation of basal ganglia occurred in schizophrenics.Comparing to normal control,patients with schizophrenia exhibited a tendency of more activation in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.Conclusion:Abnormal activity of basal ganglia and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may be the critical cause of working memory deficit experienced by patients with schizophrenia.