Subcortical regions have a pivotal role in cognitive, affective, and social functions in humans, and the structural and functional abnormalities of the regions have been associated with various psychiatric disorders. Although previous studies focused on the neurocognitive and socio-functional consequences of prefrontal and tempolo-limbic abnormalities in psychiatric disorders, those of subcortical structures remain largely unknown. Recently, MRI volume alterations in subcortical structures in patients with schizophrenia have been replicated in large-scale meta-analytic studies. Here we investigated the relationship between volumes of subcortical structures and neurocognitive and socio-functional indices in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia. First, we replicated the results of meta-analyses: the regional volumes of the bilateral hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus and nucleus accumbens were significantly smaller for patients (N = 163) than for healthy controls (HCs, N = 620). Second, in the patient group, the right nucleus accumbens volume was significantly correlated with the Digit Symbol Coding score, which is known as a distinctively characteristic index of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Furthermore, the right thalamic volume was significantly correlated with social function scores. In HCs, no significant correlation was found. The results from this large-scale investigation shed light upon the role of specific subcortical nuclei on cognitive and social functioning in schizophrenia.

中文翻译：

---

皮层下结构对精神分裂症认知和社会功能的作用。

皮质下区域在人类的认知，情感和社会功能中起着关键作用，并且该区域的结构和功能异常与各种精神疾病有关。尽管先前的研究集中于精神疾病中额叶前额颞叶异常的神经认知和社会功能后果，但皮质下结构的异常仍在很大程度上未知。最近，精神分裂症患者的皮质下结构的MRI容积改变已在大规模的荟萃分析研究中复制。在这里，我们调查了大量精神分裂症患者样本中皮层下结构的体积与神经认知和社会功能指数之间的关系。首先，我们复制了荟萃分析的结果：患者（N = 163）的双侧海马，杏仁核，丘脑和伏隔核的体积明显小于健康对照组（HCs，N = 620）。其次，在患者组中，右侧伏隔核体积与数字符号编码得分显着相关，该数字符号被称为精神分裂症认知缺陷的独特特征指标。此外，右丘脑容积与社交功能评分显着相关。在HC中，未发现显着相关性。这项大规模调查的结果揭示了特定的皮层下核对精神分裂症认知和社会功能的作用。在患者组中，右侧伏隔核体积与数字符号编码得分显着相关，该数字符号被称为精神分裂症认知缺陷的独特特征指标。此外，右丘脑容积与社交功能评分显着相关。在HC中，未发现显着相关性。这项大规模调查的结果揭示了特定的皮层下核对精神分裂症认知和社会功能的作用。在患者组中，右侧伏隔核体积与数字符号编码得分显着相关，该数字符号被称为精神分裂症认知缺陷的独特特征指标。此外，右丘脑容积与社交功能评分显着相关。在HC中，未发现显着相关性。这项大规模调查的结果揭示了特定的皮层下核对精神分裂症认知和社会功能的作用。没有发现明显的相关性。这项大规模调查的结果揭示了特定的皮层下核对精神分裂症认知和社会功能的作用。没有发现明显的相关性。这项大规模调查的结果揭示了特定的皮层下核对精神分裂症认知和社会功能的作用。