Host: The Physiological Society of Japan
We focused on investigating neural network deficits in schizophrenia using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) while participants performed cognitive task. Patients with schizophrenia have a variety of cognitive deficits. The cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia can be divided into (1) deficits in preparation for the task (task set) (2) deficits in execution of the task (executive control) (3) deficits in feedback of the task (evaluation). Though previous research of schizophrenia mainly focused on deficits of executive control, it is important to investigate the function of preparation for the task before the execution. For example, when the instructions of the task are given, the human brain established a task set before the task is actually performed. We investigated brain activity of patient with schizophrenia and normal volunteer related to both task set and task performance. In turn our study allows us to determine whether patients with schizophrenia set up different or similar task sets prior to the task performance and then use different or similar task strategies as normal participants. The result of this study showed that patients with schizophrenia form different task sets than normal participants due to attention control disturbances. [J Physiol Sci. 2008;58 Suppl:S16]
