Home › Research › Lewy body dementia
Reduced frontotemporal functional connectivity in schizophrenia associated with auditory hallucinations
Lawrie SM, Buechel C, Whalley HC, Frith CD, Friston KJ, Johnstone EC.. Biological psychiatry, 2002-06-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the frontotemporal disconnection hypothesis of schizophrenia. Methods Eight DSM-IV schizophrenia patients and 10 control subjects were studied with fMRI while they thought of the missing last word in 128 visually presented sentences. The fMRI data were analyzed comparing the effect of sentence completion (vs. rest) using a random effects analysis. Results There were no significant group differences in regional brain responses. Correlation coefficients between left temporal cortex (x = -54, y = -42, z = 3) and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (x = -39, y = 12, z = 24) were significantly lower in the schizophrenic group and were negatively correlated with the severity of auditory hallucinations. Conclusions Previous demonstrations of hypofrontality in schizophrenia may reflect particular task requirements. Frontotemporal functional connectivity is reduced in schizophrenia and may be associated with auditory hallucinations.
Key findings
- Results There were no significant group differences in regional brain responses.
- Correlation coefficients between left temporal cortex (x = -54, y = -42, z = 3) and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (x = -39, y = 12, z = 24) were significantly lower in the schizophrenic group and were negatively correlated with the severity of auditory hallucinations.
- Frontotemporal functional connectivity is reduced in schizophrenia and may be associated with auditory hallucinations.
Why it matters
This small imaging study of eight schizophrenia patients found reduced functional connectivity between frontal and temporal brain regions, which was linked to the severity of auditory hallucinations. It concerns schizophrenia, not Alzheimer's disease, and reports no treatment, cure or prevention.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Biological psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Biological Psychiatry: journal h-index 428 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2002 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 532 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 20.5 citations a year over 26 year(s) since 2002 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 14 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Eve C. Johnstone: h-index 77 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Wellcome Trust: institution h-index 1,088 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 12062886) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Lawrie, S. M., Buechel, C., Whalley, H. C., Frith, C. D., Friston, K. J., & Johnstone, E. C. (2002). Reduced frontotemporal functional connectivity in schizophrenia associated with auditory hallucinations. Biological psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3223(02)01316-1
Vancouver
Lawrie SM, Buechel C, Whalley HC, Frith CD, Friston KJ, Johnstone EC. Reduced frontotemporal functional connectivity in schizophrenia associated with auditory hallucinations. Biological psychiatry. 2002. doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(02)01316-1. PMID: 12062886.
BibTeX
@article{lawrie2002-12062886,
author = {Lawrie, S. M. and Buechel, C. and Whalley, H. C. and Frith, C. D. and Friston, K. J. and Johnstone, E. C.},
title = {{Reduced frontotemporal functional connectivity in schizophrenia associated with auditory hallucinations}},
journal = {Biological psychiatry},
year = {2002},
doi = {10.1016/s0006-3223(02)01316-1},
pmid = {12062886},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3223(02)01316-1}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Lewy body dementia
Also tagged “bodies”
1,017 studies in the library carry the topic tag “bodies”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,017 tagged studies.