Association of Frontal Lobe Abnormalities with the Severity of Schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic mental disorder causing a loss of touch with reality with cognitive impairment being a core aspect. Multiple studies hypothesize that these underlying structural and functional frontal changes are the primary reason for both the cognitive deficits. A cross-sectional study was done at Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical College and Research Centre, UP, India, on 30 patients having schizophrenia along withand 30 age-matched control to determine the association between the severity of schizophrenia and objective structural and functional abnormalities of the frontal lobe. All enrolled participants (both cases and controls) underwent a detailed history taking and clinical examination. The assessment protocol was based on three objective, complementary modalities – a severity scale named ‘positive and negative syndrome scale’ (PANSS), a structural neuroimaging measure (CT scan), and a functional cognitive battery (FAB). Statistically significant differences were observed in greater ‘positive and negative syndrome scale’ (PANSS) score in cases (p<0.05) and classifying them as “Markedly Ill”. The frontal assessment battery (FAB) also showed statistically significant differences between the case and control groups across all major outcome parameters. The critical correlation analyses confirmed strong, significant relationships in the patient group with PANSS score versus structural distance as well as functional versus structural distance. Our study demonstrated both a significant anatomical abnormality and a profound functional deficit in patients. The positive correlation between the PANSS score and the objective CT distance confirms the degree of structural deterioration in the frontal-callosal axis.

International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 10 No. 03 Jul’26 Page: 157-163