Brain, Meaning, and Computation

Abstract

Within the multicenter fmri project "Cerebral indicators of relapse", which is part of the German Competence Network on Schizophrenia, circumscribed hypoactivations in first-episode schizophrenia patients during working memory demands emerged. These hypoactivations were predominately striking in parietal areas, while inferior frontal brain regions were hyperactivated compared to healthy controls. In patients, a positive correlation between performance quality and dorsolateral prefrontal activity could be observed, a region frequently focused at in imaging studies on schizophrenia and which is closely associated with working memory processes. Reassessments of patients point to cerebral reorganisation processes in that functional differences between patients and controls become less pronounced. Extended analyses will focus on the individual predictive value of cerebral dysfunctions present already at the onset of schizophrenia.