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Cortical blood flow during rest and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance in schizophrenia

Kortikaler Blutfluss in Ruhe und während Aktivität bei schizophrenen Patienten

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Zusammenfassung

HINTERGRUND: Ziel der Studie war festzustellen, ob schizophrene Patienten, die mit dem Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) kognitiv aktiviert wurden, sich in ihrer zerebralen Durchblutung von Kontrollpersonen unterscheiden. METHODEN: Eine 99mTc-SPECT Studie wurde bei 21 schizophrenen Patienten und 21 Kontrollpersonen durchgeführt. Der relative cerebrale Blutfluss (relCBF) wurde ermittelt indem der Blutfluss genau definierter zerebraler Regionen mit dem Gesamtblutfluss verglichen wurde. Der relCBF wurde in Ruhe und nach Durchführung des WCST zwischen und innerhalb der Gruppen verglichen. ERGEBNISSE: Wir fanden einen signifikant erhöhten bilateral präfrontalen und rechts parietalen relCBF bei schizophrenen Patienten im Vergleich zu den Kontrollen während der Ruheaufnahme (p < 0,05). Die präfrontale and parietale interhemispherische Asymmetrie war in der Patientengruppe wesentlich deutlicher ausgeprägt (p < 0,005). Im Gegensatz dazu konnte bei den schizophrenen Patienten der rechte präfrontale und frontobasale relCBF während der Stimulation mit dem WCST nicht erhöht werden – im Gegensatz zu den gesunden Kontrollen (p < 0,05). Der rechte okzipital relCBF war nur in der Patientengruppe nach der Aktivierung erhöht (p < 0,05). SCHLUSSFOLGERUNGEN: Wir bestätigen in dieser Studie die Hypothese der schizophrenen Hypofrontalität in Ruhe und während Aktivierung. Weiters konnten wir bei schizophrenen Patienten signifikante frontale und parietale interhemisphärische Asymmetrien vor und nach der kognitiven Aktivierung feststellen.

Summary

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to examine if patients with schizophrenia differ in prefrontal, orbitofrontal, temporal, parietal and occipital blood flow from healthy controls during performance of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). METHODS: We conducted a 99mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime-SPECT study in patients with schizophrenia (n = 21) and in healthy controls (n = 18). The assessment of relative regional cerebral blood flow (relCBF) was achieved by comparing blood flow of well-defined cortical regions to whole brain blood flow. relCBF at rest and during WCST was compared between the groups and in the groups. RESULTS: Significant bilateral prefrontal and right-sided parietal increases of relCBF were found in patients (p < 0.05) during resting conditions, while prefrontal and parietal interhemispheric asymetry were higher in patients (p < 0.005). However, patients failed to increase right prefrontal and frontobasal relCBF as well as orbitofrontal interhemispheric asymetry during WCST performance in contrast to the control group (p < 0.05). The right occipital relCBF increased significantly in patients only (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In our study we could confirm the common hypothesis of schizophrenic hypofrontality at rest and during WCST performance. Moreover, due to our method, we identified significant frontal and parietal interhemispheric asymmetries in schizophrenia at rest as well as right occipital hyperperfusion during WCST.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Clinic of Psychiatry, University of Navarra College of Medicine, Pamplona, Spain

    Felipe Ortuño, Miguel Moreno-Íñiguez, Manuel Millán & César A. Soutullo

  2. University Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria

    Raphael M. Bonelli

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  1. Felipe Ortuño
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  2. Miguel Moreno-Íñiguez
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  3. Manuel Millán
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  4. César A. Soutullo
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  5. Raphael M. Bonelli
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Correspondence to Felipe Ortuño.

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Ortuño, F., Moreno-Íñiguez, M., Millán, M. et al. Cortical blood flow during rest and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance in schizophrenia. Wien Med Wochenschr 156, 179–184 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-005-0248-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-005-0248-3

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