Correlated structural and functional brain abnormalities in the default mode network in schizophrenia patients.

Background: There is increasing evidence of default mode network (DMN) dysfunction in schizophrenia. It has also been suggested that brain structural changes are maximal in a medial frontal area which overlaps with the anterior midline node of this network.

Methods: Brain deactivations were examined in 14 schizophrenic patients and 14 controls during performance of two tasks requiring identification or labelling of facial emotions.