The correlation between white matter integrity and pragmatic language processing in first episode schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: Higher-order language disturbances could be the result of white matter tract abnormalities. The study explores the relationship between white matter and pragmatic skills in first-episode schizophrenia.

METHODS: Thirty-four first-episode patients with schizophrenia and 32 healthy subjects participated in a pragmatic language and Diffusion Tensor Imaging study, where fractional anisotropy of the arcuate fasciculus, corpus callosum and cingulum was correlated with the Polish version of the Right Hemisphere Language Battery.

RESULTS: The patients showed reduced fractional anisotropy in the right arcuate fasciculus, left anterior cingulum bundle and left forceps minor. Among the first episode patients, reduced understanding of written metaphors correlated with reduced fractional anisotropy of left forceps minor, and greater explanation of written and picture metaphors correlated with reduced fractional anisotropy of the left anterior cingulum.

CONCLUSIONS: The white matter dysfunctions may underlie the pragmatic language impairment in schizophrenia. Our results shed further light on the functional neuroanatomical basis of pragmatic language use by patients with schizophrenia.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:15

Enthalten in:

Brain imaging and behavior - 15(2021), 2 vom: 24. Apr., Seite 1068-1084

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Pawełczyk, Agnieszka [VerfasserIn]
Łojek, Emila [VerfasserIn]
Żurner, Natalia [VerfasserIn]
Gawłowska-Sawosz, Marta [VerfasserIn]
Gębski, Piotr [VerfasserIn]
Pawełczyk, Tomasz [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Diffusion tensor imaging
Extralinguistic skills
First episode schizophrenia
Journal Article
Pragmatic language
White matter

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 27.04.2021

Date Revised 29.04.2021

published: Print

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1007/s11682-020-00314-6

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM312862814