Neural correlates of movement generation in the 'at-risk mental state'.

Journal article

OBJECTIVE: People with 'prodromal' symptoms have a very high risk of developing psychosis. We examined the neurocognitive basis of this vulnerability by using functional MRI to study subjects with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) while they performed a random movement generation task. METHOD: Cross-sectional comparison of individuals with an ARMS (n = 17), patients with first episode schizophreniform psychosis (n = 10) and healthy volunteers (n = 15). Subjects were studied using functional MRI while they performed a random movement generation paradigm. RESULTS: During random movement generation, the ARMS group showed less activation in the left inferior parietal cortex than controls, but greater activation than in the first episode group. CONCLUSION: The ARMS is associated with abnormalities of regional brain function that are qualitatively similar to those in patients who have recently presented with psychosis but less severe.

Authors: Broome, MR; Matthiasson, P; Fusar-Poli, P; Woolley, J; Johns, L

• Journal: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica
• Volume: 122
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 295-301
• Publication date: 2010-10-01
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01524.x
• EISSN: 1600-0447
• ISSN: 0001-690X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Disease Susceptibility; Humans; Mental Health; Motor Activity; Antipsychotic Agents; Adult; Causality; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Task Performance and Analysis; Psychotic Disorders; Cerebral Cortex; Cross-Sectional Studies; Schizophrenia