Yu Sihang, Wang Shuai, Sun Hang
School of Computer Science and Engineering, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, China.
School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Front Psychiatry. 2024 Nov 4;15:1496562. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1496562. eCollection 2024.
Inhibitory control deficits are a core feature of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, associated with abnormal activation of key brain networks. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may help improve inhibitory control, but its specific effects in schizophrenia remain uncertain.
This study involved 150 participants divided into Real-rTMS, Sham-rTMS, and healthy control groups. Inhibitory control was assessed using the dual-choice oddball task, and task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to examine neural activity. The Real-rTMS group received active stimulation over the DLPFC, and the Sham group received placebo stimulation.
The Real-rTMS group exhibited significant improvements in both reaction times and accuracy compared to the Sham group, indicating enhanced inhibitory control. fMRI data showed that brain activity in regions such as the cerebellum, insula, thalamus, and prefrontal cortex was normalized in the Real-rTMS group, with activation patterns closely resembling those observed in healthy controls. Additionally, task-based fMRI revealed a restoration and further enhancement of negative activation in regions like the middle frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus, which helped reduce cognitive interference from irrelevant stimuli.
rTMS targeting the DLPFC improves inhibitory control in schizophrenia by modulating both positive and negative brain activation patterns. These findings highlight the dual mechanism through which rTMS enhances cognitive control, offering a promising intervention for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Future research should explore the long-term effects of this modulation on broader cognitive functions.
抑制控制缺陷是精神分裂症认知障碍的核心特征，与关键脑网络的异常激活相关。针对背外侧前额叶皮质（DLPFC）的重复经颅磁刺激（rTMS）可能有助于改善抑制控制，但其在精神分裂症中的具体效果仍不确定。
本研究纳入150名参与者，分为真实rTMS组、假rTMS组和健康对照组。使用双选奇偶数任务评估抑制控制，并采用基于任务的功能磁共振成像（fMRI）检查神经活动。真实rTMS组在DLPFC上接受主动刺激，假刺激组接受安慰剂刺激。
与假刺激组相比，真实rTMS组在反应时间和准确性方面均有显著改善，表明抑制控制增强。fMRI数据显示，真实rTMS组中小脑、岛叶、丘脑和前额叶皮质等区域的脑活动恢复正常，激活模式与健康对照组密切相似。此外，基于任务的fMRI显示，额中回和颞上回等区域的负激活得到恢复并进一步增强，这有助于减少来自无关刺激的认知干扰。
针对DLPFC的rTMS通过调节大脑的正性和负性激活模式来改善精神分裂症的抑制控制。这些发现突出了rTMS增强认知控制的双重机制，为精神分裂症的认知缺陷提供了一种有前景的干预措施。未来的研究应探索这种调节对更广泛认知功能的长期影响。
