Negative symptoms and regional cerebral blood flow in patients with schizophrenia: a single photon emission computed tomography study

There have been few functional imaging studies of negative symptoms in schizophrenia during the resting state, particularly in Asian patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between regional cerebral flood flow (rCBF) and negative symptoms, and to discuss the association between severity and subgroups of negative symptoms and rCBF. Sixteen patients with chronic schizophrenia were evaluated for negative symptoms using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging to assess rCBF during the resting state. Results were assessed using Spearman's correlation analysis. Total SANS scores were significantly negatively correlated with bilateral hypofrontality, especially in the left orbital frontal and bilateral superior frontal areas. Subscores for attention were significantly negatively correlated with the left lower frontal-temporal area and the right cerebellum. Subscores for anhedonia had a negative correlation with the right hemisphere. Subscores for affect were negatively correlated with rCBF in the bilateral prefrontal and bilateral superior frontal areas. There were no associations between rCBF and SANS in alogia and avolition. These results support the notion that frontal lobe dysfunction in schizophrenia is associated with negative symptoms. The left anterior hemisphere may play an important role in attention deficit. These relationships between negative symptoms and neuroanatomy require further clarification.