Rapid cerebral hemodynamic modulation during complex cognitive functions and time-locked association with behavior

Schuepbach, D., and Hell, D.
Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Switzerland

Cognitive functions such as planning or abstraction are important for daily living. Current functional imaging often lacks precise information on the time course or on brain behavior correlations. Standardized neuropsychological tasks have been used to measure cerebral hemodynamics by means of functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) in normal and psychiatric samples. The middle and anterior cerebral arteries were insonated while subjects solved the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the Stockings of Cambridge task. Assessing rapid changes of brain perfusion, we were able to show that complex functions provoke specific and instantaneous changes with aberrant patterns in patients with schizophrenia. Further, there was evidence of time-locked associations between rapid modulation of brain perfusion and performance. These results suggest a promising role of fTCD in functional assessment of complex cognitive paradigms, and challenge current concepts of brain behavior relationship during those functions.

Symposium 28: Cardiovascular psychophysiology
13.06.2009, 09:00-10:15
Seminarraum 10