MR

Cognitive Control Impairments and Frontal Cortical Activity in Schizophrenia

  • Cognitive Control in Schizophrenia

    • Cognitive control is crucial for guiding cognitive processes flexibly according to intentions and goals.
    • Schizophrenia is characterized by cognitive control impairments linked to disrupted prefrontal cortical functioning.

  • Role of Gamma Oscillations

    • Synchronous $eta$-band oscillations (30-80 Hz) are associated with perceptual and cognitive processes, potentially facilitating cognitive control through prefrontal cortical circuits.
    • Healthy subjects showed increased $eta$-band activity in prefrontal areas when cognitive control demands were higher; this was absent in schizophrenia patients.

  • Findings from EEG Studies

    • The study used a cognitive task (Preparing to Overcome Prepotency) that engages cognitive control to assess induced $eta$-band activity.
    • Healthy controls exhibited significant increases in induced $eta$-band activity during high-control trials; schizophrenia patients did not.
    • Correlations between $eta$-band activity and clinical symptoms were observed, particularly with Disorganization symptoms.

  • Implications for Cognitive Deficits

    • Disturbances in $eta$-band synchrony in schizophrenia may underpin cognitive control deficits.
    • Increased $eta$-band activity correlated with better performance in healthy controls, further illustrating the link between synchrony and cognitive function.

  • Neurobiological Considerations

    • Impaired thalamocortical oscillations and dysfunction in interneurons may contribute to the disturbances in $eta$-band activity observed in schizophrenia.
    • Future studies may explore EEG assessments of $eta$-band synchrony for understanding cognitive control impairments in schizophrenia.