Bu çalışmada şizofreni hastalarında yüzdeki duygulanımı tanımaya eşlik eden prefrontal korteks (PFK) aktivitesini incelemeyi ve bu aktivitenin zihin kuramı bozukluğu ve klinik belirtilerle ilişkili olup olmadığını araştırmayı amaçladık. Yöntem: İşlevsel yakın kızılötesi spektroskopi (fNIRS) ile frontal kortikal aktiviteyi ölçmek için yüzdeki duygulanım ifadelerinden oluşan standart bir fotoğraf kümesi ile oluşturulan bir nörogörüntüleme görevi kullanılmıştır. DSM-IV'e göre şizofreni ve şizofreniform bozukluk tanısı konan 27 hasta [vaka grubu (VG)] ve 25 sağlıklı kontrol vakasından [Kontrol Grubu (KG)] elde edilen veriler karşılaştırılmıştır. Kontrol koşulu yüzdeki non-afektif değişiklikleri saptama şeklinde belirlenmiştir. Sonra PFK aktivitesiyle klinik belirtiler ve yanlış inancı anlama, pot kırmayı anlama, imayı anlama becerileri arasındaki ilişki incelenmiştir. Bulgular: Prefrontal aktivite afektif ve non-afektif koşulda VG'de KG'ye göre daha yüksek; sosyal bilişsel işlevlerse VG'de, KG'den düşük bulunmuştur. Sosyal bilişsel işlevlerle PFK aktivitesi arasında bir ilişki bulunmamıştır. Her iki grupta da eğitim durumu ve yaşla PFK aktivitesi arasında korelasyon saptanmamıştır. VG'de Pozitif Belirti Değerlendirme Ölçeği (PBDÖ) varsanı toplam puanı, sağ ventral prefrontal korteks (VPFK) ve sağ medial prefrontal korteks (mPFK) aktiviteleriyle ilişkili bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Şizofrenide yüze ait değişikliklerin saptanması sırasında ortaya çıkan bir hiperfrontaliteden söz edilebilir. Bulgular şizofreni hastalarının yüzdeki afektif ve non-afektif değişiklikleri tanımada aynı performansı sergileyebilmek için sağlıklı kişilere göre daha fazla frontal kaynağa gereksinim duyduğu yönünde yorumlanabilir. Şizofrenide varsanılarla yüzdeki ifadeyi işleme arasında bir ilişki olabilir.

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Episodic future thinking (EFT) refers to mental simulation of possible future events, a process that mostly depends on episodic memory (EM). EFT impairment in schizophrenia was proposed to disturb continuity in self-functioning. Schizophrenia patients are also impaired in EM as well as executive functions (EFs). In the present study, we aimed to clarify the relationship between EFT and memory functions in schizophrenia by assessing (a) whether a group of individuals with schizophrenia (schizophrenia group [SG]) who have relatively intact long-term memory functions differ from healthy controls (control group [CG]) in terms of EFT performance, and (b) whether such difference is biologically represented in terms of cortical activity. We also aimed to clarify the role of EFs in EFT in 3 task conditions: past remembering with a single cue (PR), future imagination with a single cue (FI-1C), and future imagination with 3 given cues (FI-3C). Cortical activity was monitored by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Although the two groups showed a comparable performance in the PR, the SG performed worse than the CG in the two future-imagination conditions. In the CG, mental flexibility predicted EFT, and EM predicted PR. No such relationship was observed in the SG. In the CG only, activity was higher in the FI-1C than the PR in the middle and superior temporal cortices. In the SG, activity in the rostral prefrontal cortex (rPFC) was negatively correlated with performance in FI-3C. These results suggest that EFT is still observed but not associated with EFs in individuals with schizophrenia having relatively intact memory functions. Altered activity in the rPFC may be associated with EFT impairment in schizophrenia.

Introduction: It is well known that patients with schizophrenia are more sensitive to negative rather than positive feelings. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the degree of explicitly perceived threat against facial expressions of anger. We were also interested in the association between perceived threat, and both the objective intensity of facial expression of anger and the functional anatomy of the perceived faces.Method: Forty-eight patients with schizophrenia and 51 healthy controls were enrolled. Participants were presented a total of 21 sequences of anger including six different face images, which were selected from The Cohn-Kanade AU-Coded Facial Expression Database with emotions gradually changing from neutral to peak expression of anger. We measured when [time to threat (TtT)] and to which degree [Total perception of threat (TPoT)] threat was perceived by participants. The relation between perceived threat with the involvement of functional anatomic units among the face stimuli was also investigated.Results: TPoT was higher in the index compared to the control group. TtT was comparable in two groups and was associated with the severity of hallucinations among the index group. Total emotion intensity was lower in the sequences that evoked more threat in the index group. Functional contribution of the eyes and the upper lip to expression of anger were associated with TPoT among the index group. Conclusion:Schizophrenia subjects may be prone to perceive more threat in response to facial expression of anger. This proneness may be evident in response to less intense expression of anger, particularly via eyes and the upper lip.