Research article summary (published 30 Aug 2002):

Procedural learning in schizophrenia: a functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation.

Full Abstract

Procedural learning (PL) is a type of rule-based learning in which performance facilitation occurs with practice on task without the need for conscious awareness. Schizophrenic patients have often (though not invariably) been found to show impaired PL. We performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a blocked, periodic sequence-learning task with groups of: (i) healthy subjects, and (ii) schizophrenic patients on conventional antipsychotics. Healthy subjects showed significant PL, but patients did not. In healthy subjects, PL was associated with increased activation in the striatum, thalamus, cerebellum, precuneus, medial frontal lobe, and cingulate gyrus. The power of activation in the thalamus, striatum, precuneus, cingulate gyrus and BA 6 was related to the magnitude of PL in these subjects. No regions, except the anterior inferior gyrus, were significantly activated in patients. The caudate nucleus, thalamus, precuneus, and sensorimotor regions were activated significantly differently between the two groups. The findings demonstrate the involvement of the striatum, cerebellum, thalamus, cingulate gyrus, precuneus, and sensorimotor regions in PL. Further fMRI studies of PL in normal subjects treated with conventional antipsychotics, drug naïve patients, and patients given atypical antipsychotics would help to clarify the roles of schizophrenic disease processes and antipsychotic medication in impaired PL and associated brain abnormalities in schizophrenia. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Author information

Author/s: Kumari, Veena (V); Gray, Jeffrey A (JA); Honey, Garry D (GD); Soni, William (W); Bullmore, Edward T (ET); Williams, Steven C R (SC); Ng, Virginia Wk (VW); Vythelingum, Goparlen N (GN); Simmons, Andrew (A); Suckling, John (J); Corr, Philip J (PJ); Sharma, Tonmoy (T);

Affiliation: Section of Cognitive Psychopharmacology, Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, UK. v.kumari(-atsign-)iop.kcl.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Schizophrenia research (Schizophr Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Sep; vol 57 (issue 1) : pp 97-107

Dates: Created 2002/08/07; Completed 2002/10/30; Revised 2008/11/21;

PMID: 12165380, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult Brain - abnormalities Humans Learning - physiology

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Random Allocation Schizophrenia - diagnosis; physiopathology Signal Detection, Psychological - physiology

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