The aim of this study is to examine the hemodynamic changes induced by the cognitive process of facial expression by using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy in healthy subjects with varying degrees of autism tendency.Subjects were 38 volunteers, 20 men and 18 women. Autism tendency was measured by the Autism Spectrum Quotient. The hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex were measured by 24-channel near-infrared spectroscopy system, while subjects were asked to judge their own emotional response to standardized pictures of eight kinds of facial expressions on a computer screen.There were significant negative correlations between Autism Spectrum Quotient scores and accuracy of fearful expression recognition as well as increases in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in response to four kinds of emotional faces (fear, contempt, sadness and disgust).Our findings suggest that the greater tendency to autism that subjects have, the more difficulty they have in recognizing a fearful expression and the less hemodynamic change in the prefrontal cortex they show in response to negative facial expressions.
Abstract The Trail‐Making Test (TMT) is a neuropsychological test for evaluating executive function, and the TMT Part B reflects more complex cognitive processes including cognitive set shifting. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is thought to be involved in these cognitive processes. The purpose of the present paper was to investigate PFC activation during performance of the TMT Part A and Part B using multichannel near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Subjects were 41 healthy right‐handed volunteers. The hemodynamic changes in the PFC during the TMT were measured on a 22‐channel NIRS machine. The subjects had a greater increase of oxygenated hemoglobin ([oxyHb]) during the TMT Part B than during Part A in the PFC. Twenty‐seven out of the 41 subjects had a bilateral increase of [oxyHb] in the PFC during Part B according to laterality index. NIRS detected activation in the PFC during the performance of the TMT Part B and this PFC activation may reflect executive functions including cognitive set shifting involved in the TMT Part B.
Aims The purpose of the present study was to investigate the correlation between cognitive function and clinical variables in people with schizophrenia. Methods The subjects were 61 stabilized outpatients with schizophrenia ( DSM‐IV ). Their mean age was 40.1 ( SD = 12.2) years. All subjects gave written informed consent to participate in the research. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia, and the Drug‐Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale. Results The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Negative syndrome score was significantly correlated with verbal memory score (r = −0.37, P < 0.01), working memory score (r = 0.38, P < 0.01), attention and speed of information processing score (r = −0.51, P < 0.01), verbal fluency score (r = −0.39, P < 0.01), and composite score (r = −0.54, P < 0.01). In addition, the Drug‐Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale score was significantly correlated with attention and speed of information processing (r = −0.45, P < 0.01), and composite score (r = −0.41, P < 0. 01). Dose of antipsychotics and anti‐Parkinson drugs was not significantly correlated with the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia scores. Conclusions These results indicate that cognitive dysfunction of people with schizophrenia might be associated with negative and drug‐induced extrapyramidal symptoms, suggesting that their minimization would be important for improving cognitive dysfunction.
Aim: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family, and it promotes the development and function of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons. The Met allele of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with a decrease in activity-dependent secretion of BDNF compared with the Val allele, and a number of studies have provided evidence for the association between this polymorphism and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this functional variant of the BDNF gene is associated with OCD and treatment response in patients with OCD in the Japanese population. Methods: We first performed a case–control association study between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and OCD (175 cases and 2,027 controls). Then, we examined an association between this polymorphism and treatment response in 96 patients with OCD. Results: We found no significant association between the Met allele and OCD risk or between the Met allele and treatment responses to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or serotonin reuptake inhibitor with an atypical antipsychotic ( P >0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism may not be associated as a risk factor for developing OCD or with therapeutic response in patients with OCD in the Japanese population. Keywords: obsessive-compulsive disorder, BDNF, treatment response, association study, SSRI, atypical antipsychotic
Aim: In recent years, greater attention has been given to quality of life (QOL) in schizophrenia and several studies reported that negative and depressive symptoms and cognitive dysfunction are related to patient QOL. But because a variety of QOL measures have been used in the previous studies, there seems to be no unanimous predictors for subjective and objective QOL. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the relationship between clinical variables and subjective and objective QOL in outpatients with schizophrenia, using schizophrenia disease‐specific QOL measures. Particular attention was paid to cognitive function as a predictor of QOL. Methods: Schizophrenia symptoms of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were divided into five factors: positive factor, negative factor, cognitive factor, emotional discomfort, and hostility. The study sample consisted of 84 schizophrenia outpatients. Subjective and objective QOL were assessed with Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS) and the Quality of Life Scale (QLS), respectively. Results: Subjective QOL correlated significantly with emotional discomfort, positive factor, negative factor, extrapyramidal symptoms and cognitive factor, while objective QOL correlated with negative factor, cognitive factor, emotional discomfort, extrapyramidal symptoms, and dose of antipsychotics. Total score and three of four subscales in the QLS correlated significantly with cognitive factor, while cognitive factor had a significant correlation with only one of three scales of SQLS. Stepwise regression showed that subjective QOL was significantly predicted by emotional discomfort and extrapyramidal symptoms, while negative factor was the most important predictor of objective QOL. Conclusion: Cognitive dysfunction had a greater influence on objective QOL than subjective QOL. Treating depressive and negative symptoms and extrapyramidal symptoms might contribute to enhanced subjective and objective QOL.
To investigate the brain activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during mental works, we examined blood oxygenation changes of healthy subjects by using multi channel near infrared spectropcopy (NIRS). It was directly confirmed that the PFC was activated during mental tasks in vivo and it was suggested that distribution of the activation in the PFC is different among healthy individuals.
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