Fronto-temporal Anatomical Connectivity and Working-Relational Memory Performance Predict Everyday Functioning in Schizophrenia

Hippocampal (relational memory) and prefrontal cortex (PFC; working memory) impairments have been found in patients with schizophrenia (SP), possibly due to a dysfunctional connection between structures. Neuroanatomical studies that describe reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the uncinate fasciculus support this idea. The dysconnection hypothesis in SP was investigated by examining fronto-temporal anatomical connectivity (uncinate fasciculus FA) and PFC-hippocampal memory and their relationship with each other and everyday functioning. PFC-hippocampal memory was examined with two working-relational memory tasks: transverse patterning and virtual Morris water task. SP exhibited a performance deficit on both tasks and had lower FA in bilateral uncinate fasciculus than healthy volunteers. Lower fronto-temporal anatomical connectivity was related to lower working-relational memory performance, and both predicted worse everyday functioning.