Poster #24 FAILURE TO DEACTIVATE MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX ASSOCIATED WITH CLINICAL NOT GENETIC RISK FOR PSYCHOSIS

Abstract

regions known as Cortical Midline Structures (CMS) is critically involved in these self-reflection processes. Furthermore, structural imaging studies in patients with schizophrenia have shown abnormalities in this region which correlate with impaired insight. A recent meta-analysis of fMRI studies in healthy individuals on self-reflective processing by van der Meer et al. (2010) confirmed the involvement of the CMS, and more specifically the importance of two regions within the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). The ventral MPFC is specifically involved in self-reflective processing, whereas the dorsal MPFC is involved in selfas well as other-reflective processing. A model was developed in which the vMPFC is involved in tagging information relevant for “self”, whereas the dMPFC is involved in decision making processes in selfand other-referential processing. Methods: This model was the starting point in an fMRI study in 40 patients with schizophrenia. More specifically, the relationship between brain activation during self-reflection and illness insight was investigated. Results: Results suggest that schizophrenia patients show an abnormal pattern of activation in self-reflective processing in relation to controls. Results concerning the relationship with insight will be presented. Discussion: More knowledge on the neural basis of impaired self-reflective processing in schizophrenia, a core feature of the disorder, may help understand the origins of the specific problems these patients have and may help to evaluate new treatment strategies.