执行功能紊乱被视为精神分裂症认知功能缺陷的核心问题，可能是其它认知功能缺陷和精神病症状的产生机制。相比传统的临床心理测验研究，认知神经科学研究能够提供更接近疾病生物源的神经结构与激活数据。本项目以实验认知神经科学为取向，首先对执行功能包含的认知加工成分做系统分析，提出执行功能包括三个基本功能单元和三个功能网络的构想，即目标维持、冲突监测和冲突控制基本功能单元，以及目标维持－冲突监测、冲突监测－冲突控制和目标维持－冲突监测－冲突控制功能网络。据此进一步选择或设计能够针对性地测量这些功能单元和网络的实验任务和程序。再运用先进的认知神经科学数据记录技术（反应时、脑电与核磁共振）与分析方法（如事件相关电位分析、动态因果模型分析等）调查执行功能紊乱相关的神经结构与激活改变。最终，结合病程、亚型、用药史等临床数据，阐明精神分裂症执行功能紊乱的神经机制，为改善执行功能紊乱的诊断和治疗提供理论基础。

Executive dysfunction is thought to be the core of cognitive deficit in schizophrenia, even being the basis of other cognitive deficits and psychoses. Compared with traditional clinical mental tests, cognitive neuroscience can provide the data of neural structure and activation that are closer to the biological sources of schizophrenia. This project is cognitive neuroscience approach. We first systematically analyzed the cognitive components of executive function, and proposed that there are three basic functional units and three functional networks constructs, i.e., goal maintenance, conflict monitoring, conflict control units, and goal maintenance - conflict monitoring, conflict monitoring - conflict control, and goal maintenance - conflict monitoring - conflict control networks. Accordingly, experimental paradigms and procedures that can specifically measure these constructs were selected or designed. We then conduct the advanced cognitive neuroscience recording techniques (e.g., reaction time, EEG and MRI) and analysis methods (e.g., event-related potentials, dynamic causal modeling) to investigate the variation of neural structures and activations correlated with executive dysfunction. Finally, combining with the clinical data (e.g., duration, subtype, mediation history), we will try to elucidate the neural mechanism of executive dysfunction in schizophrenia, providing a better theoretical basis for improving the diagnosis and treatment of this dysfunction.