University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
Soc Neurosci. 2010;5(1):92-104. doi: 10.1080/17470910903170269. Epub 2009 Oct 9.
Recently, a standardized program for training of affect recognition (TAR) was developed which has demonstrated efficacy and specificity with respect to behavioral performance. The effects of the TAR on the cerebral correlates were evaluated using repeated fMRI event-related measurements in a group of schizophrenia patients (n=10) before and after TAR treatment six weeks apart. A second patient group without training (n=10, treatment as usual, TAU) as well as healthy subjects (n=10) were investigated at equivalent time points. Schizophrenia patients were shown to be differentially impaired in the identification of the emotional aspects of facial expressions (but not age discrimination) when compared with healthy participants. A specific improvement in the increased number of correct identifications was observed in trained patients only. In parallel, an increase in activation was noted in the left middle and superior occipital lobe, the right inferior and superior parietal cortex, and the inferior frontal cortex bilaterally in TAR patients compared to the TAU group. These activation changes in TAR patients correlated with their behavioral improvement, further corroborating the positive effect of training. Specific training effects are seen to correspond with cerebral effects, probably reflecting a more efficient use of attentional, perceptual, or cognitive strategies.
最近，开发了一种标准化的情感识别（TAR）训练方案，该方案在行为表现方面具有功效和特异性。使用重复的 fMRI 事件相关测量，在相隔六周的 TAR 治疗前后，评估了 TAR 对一组精神分裂症患者（n=10）的大脑相关性的影响。在等效的时间点，还研究了没有接受训练的第二组患者（n=10，常规治疗，TAU）和健康受试者（n=10）。与健康参与者相比，精神分裂症患者在识别面部表情的情感方面表现出明显的缺陷（但不包括年龄歧视）。仅在接受训练的患者中观察到正确识别数量的特定增加。平行地，与 TAU 组相比，TAR 患者的左侧中、上枕叶、右侧下、上顶叶皮层和双侧下额叶的激活增加。TAR 患者的这些激活变化与他们的行为改善相关，进一步证实了训练的积极影响。特定的训练效果与大脑的影响相对应，可能反映了注意力、感知或认知策略的更有效利用。
