Abstract
BackgroundThe superior temporal gyrus (STG) is one of the key regions implicated in psychosis, given that abnormalities in this region are associated with an increased risk of conversion from an at-risk mental state to psychosis. However, inconsistent results regarding the functional connectivity strength of the STG have been reported, and the regional heterogeneous characteristics of the STG should be considered.MethodsTo investigate the distinctive functional connection of each subregion in the STG, we parcellated the STG of each hemisphere into three regions: the planum temporale, Heschl’s gyrus, and planum polare. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was obtained from 22 first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients, 41 individuals at ultra-high-risk for psychosis (UHR), and 47 demographically matched healthy controls.ResultsSignificant group differences (in seed-based connectivity) were demonstrated in the left planum temporale and from both the right and left Heschl’s gyrus seeds. From the left planum temporale seed, the FEP and UHR groups exhibited increased connectivity to the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In contrast, the FEP and UHR groups demonstrated decreased connectivity from the bilateral Heschl’s gyrus seeds to the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. The enhanced connectivity between the left planum temporale and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was positively correlated with positive symptom severity in individuals at UHR (r = .34, p = .03).ConclusionsThese findings corroborate the fronto-temporal connectivity disruption hypothesis in schizophrenia by providing evidence supporting the altered fronto-temporal intrinsic functional connection at earlier stages of psychosis. Our data indicate that subregion-specific aberrant fronto-temporal interactions exist in the STG at the early stage of psychosis, thus suggesting that these aberrancies are the neural underpinning of proneness to psychosis.
Highlights
The superior temporal gyrus (STG) plays an important role in auditory perception and cognitive functions, including language [1], and impairment in this area has been identified as the core pathophysiology of psychosis [2, 3]
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was obtained from 22 first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients, 41 individuals at ultra-high-risk for psychosis (UHR), and 47 demographically matched healthy controls
The enhanced connectivity between the left planum temporale and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was positively correlated with positive symptom severity in individuals at UHR (r = .34, p = .03)
Summary
The superior temporal gyrus (STG) plays an important role in auditory perception and cognitive functions, including language [1], and impairment in this area has been identified as the core pathophysiology of psychosis [2, 3]. Patients with schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis (FEP) consistently exhibit decreased gray matter (GM) volume in the STG [4, 5] and abnormal language task-related functional connectivity networks within the STG [6,7,8]. The degree to which of the GM volume is reduced in the STG is associated with the onset of psychosis in ARMS individuals [9, 10] These studies suggest that aberrations of the STG may be related to the pathological process of psychosis. Previous studies have reported discrete patterns in the cytoarchitectonic organization [11, 12] and enzyme distribution [13] in the STG They have suggested that subregional differences in the architectonic arrangements influence its connectivity pattern to other areas of the brain [14, 15]. Inconsistent results regarding the functional connectivity strength of the STG have been reported, and the regional heterogeneous characteristics of the STG should be considered
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