Functional magnetic resonance imaging correlates of memory encoding in relation to achieving remission in first-episode schizophrenia.
Title | Functional magnetic resonance imaging correlates of memory encoding in relation to achieving remission in first-episode schizophrenia. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2012 |
Authors | Bodnar M, Achim AM, Malla A, Joober R, Benoit A, Lepage M |
Journal | Br J Psychiatry |
Volume | 200 |
Issue | 4 |
Pagination | 300-7 |
Date Published | 2012 Apr |
ISSN | 1472-1465 |
Abstract | BACKGROUND: Previous studies in schizophrenia have shown a strong relationship between memory deficits and a poor clinical outcome. However, no previous study has identified the functional neural correlates of memory encoding in relation to remission.AIMS: To determine whether functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation patterns differed between individuals that later achieved remission v. those who did not.METHOD: Forty-two participants with first-episode schizophrenia were divided into two groups after 1 year of treatment as per the 2005 remission in schizophrenia consensus definition. We then examined fMRI activation using three contrasts (associative v. item-oriented strategy, semantically unrelated v. related image pairs, and successful v. unsuccessful memory encoding) among 15 participants who had achieved remission (remitted group), 27 who had not (non-remitted group) and 31 healthy controls (control group).RESULTS: Participants in the non-remitted group displayed a positive activation in the posterior cingulate compared with those in the remitted group when encoding related images; no significant differences between the two groups were identified for the other contrasts. From the behavioural data, compared with the remitted and control groups, the non-remitted group demonstrated an inability to encode related images and displayed worse recognition memory overall.CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to identify differential neural activation between individuals with first-episode schizophrenia that later achieved remission v. those who did not. The behavioural and functional results together add to the growing evidence relating a poor clinical outcome in schizophrenia to memory-related deficits. |
DOI | 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.098046 |
Alternate Journal | Br J Psychiatry |
PubMed ID | 22361020 |
Grant List | 68961 / / Canadian Institutes of Health Research / Canada |