Kyushu University · Medicine
Professor Toshiaki Onitsuka's research lab focuses on the neurobiological underpinnings of schizophrenia, with a particular emphasis on structural and functional brain abnormalities linked to core symptoms such as impaired facial processing and cognitive integration. The lab investigates neuroanatomical alterations—especially in the temporal lobe regions like the fusiform and superior temporal gyri—and explores neurophysiological deficits using EEG and MEG to examine early sensory processing and neural synchronization, particularly in the gamma band. A central theme is identifying biomarkers, such as the auditory steady-state response, to understand the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and support early diagnosis and intervention.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Smaller gray matter volumes in the left and right middle temporal gyri and left posterior superior temporal gyrus were present in schizophrenia but not in affective psychosis at first hospitalization. In contrast, smaller bilateral posterior inferior temporal gyrus gray matter volume is present in both schizophrenia and affective psychosis at first hospitalization. These findings suggest that smaller gray matter volumes in the dorsal temporal lobe (superior and middle temporal gyri) may be speci
These results suggest that neuroanatomic FG abnormalities underlie at least some of the deficits associated with facial recognition in schizophrenia.
The results provide evidence for deficits in the early stages of face perception in schizophrenia. The association of these deficits with smaller fusiform gyrus volume in patients with schizophrenia, relative to healthy subjects, suggests that the fusiform gyrus is the site of a defective anatomical substrate for face processing in schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia has been conceptualized as a failure of cognitive integration, and abnormalities in neural circuitry have been proposed as a basis for this disorder. In this article, we focus on electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography findings in patients with schizophrenia. Auditory-P50, -N100, and -P300 findings, visual-P100, -N170, and -N400 findings, and neural oscillations in patients with schizophrenia are overviewed. Published results suggest that patients with schizophrenia have
Recent empirical findings suggest that altered neural synchronization, which is hypothesized to be associated with an imbalance of excitatory (E) and inhibitory (I) neuronal activities, may underlie a core pathophysiological mechanism in patients with schizophrenia. The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) examined by electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) has been proposed as a potential biomarker for evaluating altered neural synchronization in schizophrenia. For this r
Schizophrenia was initially defined as "dementia praecox" by E. Kraepelin, which implies progressive deterioration. However, recent studies have revealed that early effective intervention may lead to social and functional recovery in schizophrenia. In this review, we provide an overview of current concepts in schizophrenia and pathophysiological hypotheses. In addition, we present recent findings from clinical and basic research on schizophrenia. Recent neuroimaging and neurophysiological studie
The underlying pathologies of psychiatric disorders, which cause substantial personal and social losses, remain unknown, and their elucidation is an urgent issue. To clarify the core pathological mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders, in addition to laboratory-based research that incorporates the latest findings, it is necessary to conduct large-sample-size research and verify reproducibility. For this purpose, it is critical to conduct multicenter collaborative research across various fie
Reduced right posterior fusiform gyrus volume may contribute to disease-related social disturbances, characterized by both low extraversion and reduced sensitivity to human faces.
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