Auditory Verbal Hallucination-Specific Functional Brain Networks in Schizophrenia: A Study Based on Graph Theory

Background: Although mounting previous studies have characterized auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) related brain network abnormalities in the patients with schizophrenia, AVH related brain network alterations based on graph theory was rarely reported. In addition, the relationship between the features of AVH related brain networks based on graph theory and clinical features of schizophrenia patients with AVH is unclear. Our study to explore associations among network metrics, and clinical features in schizophrenia patients with AVH. Method Thirty-one schizophrenia patients without AVH, 17 patients with AVH, and 31 healthy controls were examined by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Graph theory method was performed to analyze the topological properties of functional network in three groups. Results Our results showed that schizophrenia patients with AVH displayed decreased local network efficiency, clustering coefficients, and nodal efficiency of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Local network efficiency was positively correlated with AVH characteristics. Conclusion The topological properties of brain functional networks are disrupted in schizophrenia patients with AVH, suggesting a role of functional brain networks in the pathogenesis of AVH.