Emotion processing in treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients treated with clozapine: An fMRI study

Schizophr Res. 2015 Oct;168(1-2):377-80. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.07.046. Epub 2015 Aug 6.

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the neural correlates of emotion processing in treatment-resistant patients with schizophrenia (SCZ-TR).

Methods: Twenty-two SCZ-TR patients on clozapine, 24 schizophrenia patients on antipsychotics other than clozapine, and 39 healthy controls were scanned using functional neuroimaging while viewing positive, negative and neutral images.

Results: Emotionally-laden images (positive and negative) elicited hyper-activations in the dorso-medial prefrontal cortex and left cerebellum in SCZ-TR patients, compared to the two other groups. Similarly, neutral images prompted hyper-activations in the cingulate gyrus in SCZ-TR patients, relative to the two other groups.

Conclusions: Treatment resistance is associated with neuro-functional hyper-activations in schizophrenia patients during emotion processing.

Keywords: Clozapine; Emotion; Schizophrenia; Treatment resistance; fMRI.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Brain / blood supply*
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / pathology
  • Clozapine / therapeutic use*
  • Emotions / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Mood Disorders / drug therapy
  • Mood Disorders / etiology*
  • Oxygen / blood
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Schizophrenia* / complications
  • Schizophrenia* / drug therapy
  • Schizophrenia* / pathology

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Clozapine
  • Oxygen