Sagawa K, Kawakatsu S, Shibuya I, Oiji A, Morinobu S, Komatani A, Yazaki M, Totsuka S
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Japan.
Schizophr Res. 1990 Jul-Aug;3(4):241-6. doi: 10.1016/0920-9964(90)90004-q.
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was determined by the 133Xe inhalation technique (Headtome II: ring detection SPECT) in 53 DSM-III schizophrenic patients. The rCBF values were corrected by using end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration values (PECO2). After rCBF measurement, neuropsychological tests--Word Fluency Test, Maze Test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test--were performed. There were significant correlations between frontal rCBF and scores on each neuropsychological test. In particular, a moderate correlations between the frontal rCBF and the performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was noted. It seems likely that decrease of rCBF in prefrontal regions at rest reflects a disturbance of frontal lobe function in schizophrenic patients.
