Functional magnetic resonance imaging study of group independent components underpinning item responses to paranoid-depressive scale

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Research background

The background of this study is comprised of earlier contributions of our group. Those contributions include studies of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) correlates of the item responses to paranoid and depressive self-assessment scales. Those were studies on patients with depression, schizophrenia (SCZ), and healthy controls, by means of statistical parametric mapping and multivariate linear method.

Research motivation

The research motivation for the current study is to investigate the modulation of the fMRI signals by the diagnostic specific task (paranoid-depressive scale) with more complex toolbox. The group independent component analysis for FMRI toolbox (GIFT).

Research objectives

The primary objective of the study were to reveal the modulation of fMRI signals by diagnostic specific scales item responses in two clinical populations: Patients with SCZ and depression. The secondary objective was to investigate the difference in those signatures across the groups.

Research methods

The methods include clinical assessment, fMRI, statistical methods and GIFT.

Research results

The results indicate that there exist different neural circuits, which are modulated by paranoid and depressive diagnostic specific tasks. There are reported differences in the modulation of those circuits between patients with SCZ and depression.

Research conclusions

The methodology of GIFT is appropriate for translation of functional MRI findings into clinical utility.

Research perspectives

There are perspectives in the application the same methodology to other clinical assessment scales, e.g. for state and trait anxiety as well as for independent replications of the current findings.