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MIRECC at the Forefront of Brain Research
Winter 2000
The most important advances in scientific progress often follow from the discovery of new ways to look at the natural world. The discovery of the microscope or the telescope and access to the genetic code are examples of new ways to approach scientific question that resulted in enormous progress. This issue of the newsletter highlights MIRECC research that has benefited from advances in our ability to image the living brain.
The development of computerized methods for imaging the brain during the 1970s and 1980s led to rapid advances in our understanding of the relationships between abnormal anatomy and disease processes. Prior anatomical studies in schizophrenia relied on postmortem studies of the brain, and yeilded only ambiguous results. Studies using both computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been more convincing. They provide compelling evidence that schizophrenia is associated with anatomical abnormalities.
Functional imaging methods including positron emission tomography (PET), MRI spectroscopy and functional MRI (fMRI) permit investigators to monitor the activity of the brain while the patient is carrying out a cognitive, sensory or motor task. The MIRECC has focused largely on fMRI, a method which measures changes in blood flow as a method for understanding changes in brain activity. These fMRI studies have found that individuals with schizophrenia process information differently than healthy individuals. The patients may exhibit a form of cognitive inefficiency that may explain the deficits in memory, attention and "executive function" common in schizophrenia. Understanding these deficits may permit investigators to explore pharmacological and rehabilitation strategies aimed at improving cognitive functioning.
We look forward to future improvements in patient care that may result from research using this technology.
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This web site, is offered as a public service and is not intended to substitute for professional medical care.
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