Regional brain function in schizophrenia. I. A positron emission tomography study.

Publication/Presentation Date

2-1-1987

Abstract

Local cerebral glucose metabolism was determined with 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose using positron emission tomography in a sample of 12 unmedicated schizophrenics and 12 matched normal controls. The data were analyzed for absolute metabolic rates and region/whole-brain ratios using the cortical-subcortical, antero-posterior, and laterality dimensions. Lobar areas within cortical regions were also compared. Across groups, subcortical metabolism was higher than cortical metabolism. Patients had lower metabolism, cortically and subcortically, and a steeper subcortical to cortical gradient. Patients with higher scores on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale had higher absolute metabolism and higher left relative to right hemispheric metabolism than did patients with lesser severity. The results did not show "hypofrontality" in schizophrenia. These findings provide some support for cerebral dysfunction in schizophrenia and indicate the need for further examination of the cortical-subcortical dimension.

Volume

44

Issue

2

First Page

119

Last Page

125

ISSN

0003-990X

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

3492982

Department(s)

Department of Medicine

Document Type

Article

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