Cognitive control network dysconnectivity and response to antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia.

To better understand cognitive control impairment in schizophrenia, it is vital to determine the extent of dysfunctional connectivity in the associated fronto-striatal brain network, with a focus on the connections with the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), prior to the potential confounding effect of medication. It is also essential to determine the effects following antipsychotic medication and the relationship of those effects on psychosis improvement. Twenty-two patients with schizophrenia, initially unmedicated and after a 6-week course of risperidone, and 20 matched healthy controls (HC) performed a fMRI task twice, six weeks apart.