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Background and Objectives:
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunctions leading to cognitive deficits refer to a core feature of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). This exploratory study compares the effect of SSD on two stages of maturation of PFC.
Methods:
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we measured the brain correlates related to a verbal fluency task (a hallmark executive function test) in 12 patients with SSD: 6 adolescents (SSD-ado) and 6 adults (SSD-adu).
Results : SSD-ado showed greater activation in insula, thalamus and hIP1 whereas SSD- adu recruited more intensively precentral gyrus and temporal pole to resolve the task.
Thus, adolescents with SSD seem to adopt less frontal mediated strategic processes. In con- trast, adults seem to be able to use PFC mediated strategy despite the well-known delete- rious effect of SSD on the PFC.
Conclusions:
This first exploratory study revealed that adults and adolescents with SSD seemed not to use the same strategy to resolve a verbal fluency task. Thus, despite the ill- ness, which is known to have a deleterious influence on PFC, adult patients seem to be able to recruit these resources to perform an executive function task. Further studies are need- ed in order to confirm and extend these new and preliminary results.
