Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.
Department of Psychiatry, Shimane Prefectural Psychiatric Medical Center, Izumo, Japan.
Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2017 Nov;71(11):769-779. doi: 10.1111/pcn.12548. Epub 2017 Jul 31.
Impaired social functioning is a common characteristic of patients with schizophrenia. Social functioning requires the complex operation of various executive functions. Deficits in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) have been implicated in executive dysfunction. Here we aimed to clarify the relation between subjectively and objectively assessed social functioning, and their associations with PFC function in patients with schizophrenia.
Twenty-three patients and 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) were assessed. In the schizophrenia group, self- and caregiver-rated social functioning were measured using the Specific Level of Functioning Assessment (SLOF). The hemodynamic responses elicited by a verbal fluency task (VFT) in three regions of interest in the frontotemporal area were measured using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We also investigated psychiatric symptoms, neurocognition, and cognitive insight to assess possible confounding factors.
Significant positive correlations were found between self- and caregiver-rated SLOF composite scores and three subdomain scores. Self- and caregiver-rated SLOF composite scores were significantly associated with dorsolateral PFC and frontopolar cortex (DLPFC/FPC) activation during the VFT. Psychiatric symptoms, global functioning, neurocognition, and cognitive insight were not associated with NIRS signals. General psychopathology was associated with NIRS signals in the ventrolateral PFC and the anterior temporal cortex. DLPFC and FPC activity may be associated with social functioning in patients with schizophrenia.
Our results suggest that the two distinct assessments of social functioning were significantly correlated. Moreover, DLPFC and FPC function was strongly associated with social functioning and the ability to carry out daily life in patients with schizophrenia.
社会功能障碍是精神分裂症患者的常见特征。社会功能需要各种执行功能的复杂运作。前额叶皮层（PFC）的缺陷与执行功能障碍有关。在这里，我们旨在阐明精神分裂症患者主观和客观评估的社会功能之间的关系，以及它们与 PFC 功能的关系。
评估了 23 名患者和 22 名年龄和性别匹配的健康对照组（HC）。在精神分裂症组中，使用特定功能水平评估（SLOF）对自我和照顾者评定的社会功能进行测量。使用多通道近红外光谱（NIRS）测量额颞区三个感兴趣区域的言语流畅性任务（VFT）引起的血液动力学反应。我们还调查了精神病症状、神经认知和认知洞察力，以评估可能的混杂因素。
自我和照顾者评定的 SLOF 综合评分和三个子域评分之间存在显著正相关。自我和照顾者评定的 SLOF 综合评分与 VFT 期间背外侧前额叶皮层（DLPFC/FPC）和额极皮层（DLPFC/FPC）的激活显著相关。精神病症状、总体功能、神经认知和认知洞察力与 NIRS 信号无关。一般精神病学与腹外侧前额叶皮层和前颞叶皮层的 NIRS 信号有关。DLPFC 和 FPC 活动可能与精神分裂症患者的社会功能有关。
我们的结果表明，两种不同的社会功能评估显著相关。此外，DLPFC 和 FPC 功能与精神分裂症患者的社会功能和日常生活能力密切相关。
