Rupert, Petra
(2020)
Genetic Variation in Cognitive Flexibility Performance and Brain Activation in Schizophrenia: A Multiplex Extended Pedigree Study.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
On executive tasks of cognitive flexibility, individuals with schizophrenia have poorer performance and often differing patterns of brain activation. The present study sought to examine the degree to which cognitive flexibility performance and its related brain activation may reflect effects of schizophrenia genetic risk using an extended pedigree design. A total of 521 participants, 30 schizophrenia probands, 202 of their relatives (1st to 4th degree), and 289 unrelated controls completed similar versions of a computerized cognitive flexibility task (Penn Conditional Exclusion Test) both out of and in an MRI scanner. Both behavioral performances and brain activation during the task in five regions of interest were analyzed. In order to examine diagnostic specificity, we also investigated genetic correlations between diagnosed depression and PCET performance and brain activation. Cognitive flexibility performance was significantly genetically correlated with schizophrenia both out of (Rg=-0.65, p=0.005) and in the scanner (Rg=-0.56, p<0.001) after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. In contrast, genetic correlations between schizophrenia and ROI brain activation in the Frontal Pole (right Rg=0.30, p=0.30, left Rg=1.00, p=0.01), Anterior Cingulate Gyrus (bilateral Rg=0.39, p=0.18), and Middle Frontal Gyrus (right Rg=1.00, p=0.04, left Rg=0.60, p=0.12) were either not nominally significant or were not significant after FDR correction. Neither behavioral performance nor brain activation measures were significantly genetically correlated with depression. In contrast to some hypotheses, these results suggest that behavioral performance on this measure of cognitive flexibility (PCET) is more sensitive (and also specific compared with depression) to schizophrenia genetic risk effects than fMRI measures of its regional brain activation.
Share
| Citation/Export: |
|
| Social Networking: |
|
Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
| Title | Member | Email Address | Pitt Username | ORCID |
|---|
| Committee Member | Roalf, David | | | | | Committee Member | Erickson, Kirk | | | | | Committee Member | Prasad, Konasale | | | | | Committee Chair | Pogue-Geile, Michael | | | |
|
| Date: |
16 September 2020 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
4 August 2020 |
| Approval Date: |
16 September 2020 |
| Submission Date: |
6 August 2020 |
| Access Restriction: |
2 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 2 years. |
| Number of Pages: |
52 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Psychology |
| Degree: |
MS - Master of Science |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
schizophrenia; fMRI; genetic correlation; cognitive flexibility |
| Date Deposited: |
16 Sep 2020 16:02 |
| Last Modified: |
16 Sep 2022 05:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/39444 |
Metrics
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[feed]](/images/feed-icon-32x32.png){kind=icon}