Ventral Striatal Activation during Reward Processing in Subjects with Ultra-High Risk for Schizophrenia

Abstract

This study provides a first weak hint, as revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging, for impaired activation of a central area of the mesolimbic dopaminergic brain reward system, the VS, already in subjects with ultra-high risk for psychosis, which is in line with results of patients with full-blown schizophrenic psychosis. This pilot study has, however, strong limitations, and its results need to be replicated first before they can be used e.g. for early recognition of patients in the schizophrenic prodrome.