Review of thalamocortical resting-state fMRI studies in schizophrenia - PubMed
Review
Review of thalamocortical resting-state fMRI studies in schizophrenia
Monica Giraldo-Chica et al. Schizophr Res. 2017 Feb.
Abstract
Brain circuitry underlying cognition, emotion, and perception is abnormal in schizophrenia. There is considerable evidence that the neuropathology of schizophrenia includes the thalamus, a key hub of cortical-subcortical circuitry and an important regulator of cortical activity. However, the thalamus is a heterogeneous structure composed of several nuclei with distinct inputs and cortical connections. Limitations of conventional neuroimaging methods and conflicting findings from post-mortem investigations have made it difficult to determine if thalamic pathology in schizophrenia is widespread or limited to specific thalamocortical circuits. Resting-state fMRI has proven invaluable for understanding the large-scale functional organization of the brain and investigating neural circuitry relevant to psychiatric disorders. This article summarizes resting-state fMRI investigations of thalamocortical functional connectivity in schizophrenia. Particular attention is paid to the course, diagnostic specificity, and clinical correlates of thalamocortical network dysfunction.
Keywords: Cortex; Resting-state fMRI; Schizophrenia; Thalamus.
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Conflict of interest statement
No commercial support was received for the preparation of this manuscript. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
Figures

Functional connectivity of cortical regions with the thalamus in healthy individuals and schizophrenia. Using the cortical regions-of-interest (ROI) approach, the cortex is partitioned into six, non-overlapping ROIs which are used as seeds in a functional connectivity analysis (panel A). Activity in each cortical ROI correlates with distinct areas of the thalamus in both healthy subjects (panel B) and patients with schizophrenia (panel C). Compared to healthy subjects, prefrontal connectivity is reduced and somatomotor connectivity increased in schizophrenia (panel D). Figure modified from Woodward et al., (2012).

Dysconnectivity of the thalamus in schizophrenia. Functional connectivity of the thalamus with the rest of the brain is altered in schizophrenia (Panel A). Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit reduced thalamic connectivity with areas of the prefrontal cortex (blue) and increased connectivity with sensory and motor areas (red). Thalamus seed is shown in the bottom inset. Axial slices with corresponding Z-coordinate ranges are presented in Panel B. Abbreviations: con=healthy controls; L=left; R=right; scz=schizophrenia. Figure modified from Anticevic et al., (2013).
Similar articles
-
Murray JD, Anticevic A. Murray JD, et al. Schizophr Res. 2017 Feb;180:70-77. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.10.021. Epub 2016 Oct 23. Schizophr Res. 2017. PMID: 27784534 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Cortico-thalamic hypo- and hyperconnectivity extend consistently to basal ganglia in schizophrenia.
Avram M, Brandl F, Bäuml J, Sorg C. Avram M, et al. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018 Oct;43(11):2239-2248. doi: 10.1038/s41386-018-0059-z. Epub 2018 Apr 12. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018. PMID: 29899404 Free PMC article.
-
Baran B, Karahanoğlu FI, Mylonas D, Demanuele C, Vangel M, Stickgold R, Anticevic A, Manoach DS. Baran B, et al. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2019 Aug;4(8):706-714. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.04.012. Epub 2019 May 8. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2019. PMID: 31262708 Free PMC article.
-
Mapping Thalamocortical Functional Connectivity in Chronic and Early Stages of Psychotic Disorders.
Woodward ND, Heckers S. Woodward ND, et al. Biol Psychiatry. 2016 Jun 15;79(12):1016-25. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.06.026. Epub 2015 Jul 2. Biol Psychiatry. 2016. PMID: 26248537 Free PMC article.
-
The role of the thalamus in schizophrenia from a neuroimaging perspective.
Pergola G, Selvaggi P, Trizio S, Bertolino A, Blasi G. Pergola G, et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015 Jul;54:57-75. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.01.013. Epub 2015 Jan 20. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015. PMID: 25616183 Review.
Cited by
-
Cattarinussi G, Grimaldi DA, Sambataro F. Cattarinussi G, et al. Schizophr Bull. 2023 Nov 29;49(6):1494-1507. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbad044. Schizophr Bull. 2023. PMID: 38029279 Free PMC article.
-
Neural substrates of verbal memory impairment in schizophrenia: A multimodal connectomics study.
Tranfa M, Iasevoli F, Cocozza S, Ciccarelli M, Barone A, Brunetti A, de Bartolomeis A, Pontillo G. Tranfa M, et al. Hum Brain Mapp. 2023 May;44(7):2829-2840. doi: 10.1002/hbm.26248. Epub 2023 Feb 28. Hum Brain Mapp. 2023. PMID: 36852587 Free PMC article.
-
B Hughes R, Whittingham-Dowd J, Simmons RE, Clapcote SJ, Broughton SJ, Dawson N. B Hughes R, et al. Cereb Cortex. 2020 Apr 14;30(4):2358-2371. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhz244. Cereb Cortex. 2020. PMID: 31812984 Free PMC article.
-
The role of cognitive control in the positive symptoms of psychosis.
Horne CM, Sahni A, Pang SW, Vanes LD, Szentgyorgyi T, Averbeck B, Moran RJ, Shergill SS. Horne CM, et al. Neuroimage Clin. 2022;34:103004. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103004. Epub 2022 Apr 6. Neuroimage Clin. 2022. PMID: 35468567 Free PMC article.
-
Jiang Y, Patton MH, Zakharenko SS. Jiang Y, et al. Front Neural Circuits. 2021 Dec 8;15:769969. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2021.769969. eCollection 2021. Front Neural Circuits. 2021. PMID: 34955759 Free PMC article. Review.
References
-
- Adachi Y, Osada T, Sporns O, Watanabe T, Matsui T, Miyamoto K, Miyashita Y. Functional Connectivity between Anatomically Unconnected Areas Is Shaped by Collective Network-Level Effects in the Macaque Cortex. Cereb Cortex. 2011;22:1586–1592. - PubMed
-
- Andreasen NC, Paradiso S, O’Leary DS. “Cognitive dysmetria” as an integrative theory of schizophrenia: a dysfunction in cortical-subcortical-cerebellar circuitry? Schizophr Bull. 1998;24:203–218. - PubMed
-
- Anticevic A, Haut K, Murray JD, Repovs G, Yang GJ, Diehl C, McEwen SC, Bearden CE, Addington J, Goodyear B, Cadenhead KS, Mirzakhanian H, Cornblatt BA, Olvet D, Mathalon DH, McGlashan TH, Perkins DO, Belger A, Seidman LJ, Tsuang MT, van Erp TG, Walker EF, Hamann S, Woods SW, Qiu M, Cannon TD. Association of Thalamic Dysconnectivity and Conversion to Psychosis in Youth and Young Adults at Elevated Clinical Risk. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015;72:882–891. - PMC - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical