Kirsch Peter, Lis Stefanie, Esslinger Christine, Gruppe Harald, Danos Peter, Broll Jochen, Wiltink Jorg, Gallhofer Bernd
Centre for Psychiatry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Neuropsychobiology. 2006;54(1):51-8. doi: 10.1159/000095742. Epub 2006 Sep 11.
So-called Porteus mazes are used to investigate prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning in normal subjects and patients with different neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we present data confirming the involvement of the PFC for the first time by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). To minimize motor-related activation, mental mazes were used.
Mazes as well as pseudo-mazes without any bifurcations were presented to 49 healthy participants during fMRI scans.
Both, mazes as well as pseudo-mazes, activated a large network from visual to parietal regions, reflecting the dorsal stream of visual information processing. Mazes but not pseudo-mazes also activated bilateral areas of the PFC indicating their special role in decision processes. In addition, although no motor response was required during maze performance, both tasks activated subcortical and cortical motor areas.
These tasks are suitable for investigating and specifying PFC functioning and its impairment in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. In addition, mental mazes might be a suitable task for the investigation of patients with motor disturbances.
所谓的波蒂厄斯迷宫用于研究正常受试者以及患有不同神经精神疾病患者的前额叶皮质（PFC）功能。在此，我们首次通过功能磁共振成像（fMRI）呈现了证实PFC参与其中的数据。为了将与运动相关的激活降至最低，我们使用了心理迷宫。
在fMRI扫描期间，向49名健康参与者呈现迷宫以及没有任何分支的伪迷宫。
迷宫和伪迷宫均激活了从视觉区域到顶叶区域的一个大网络，反映了视觉信息处理的背侧通路。迷宫而非伪迷宫还激活了PFC的双侧区域，表明其在决策过程中的特殊作用。此外，尽管在执行迷宫任务时不需要运动反应，但这两项任务均激活了皮质下和皮质运动区域。
这些任务适用于研究和明确PFC功能及其在精神分裂症等精神疾病中的损害。此外，心理迷宫可能是研究有运动障碍患者的合适任务。
