Resting EEG in first-episode schizophrenia patients, bipolar psychosis patients, and their first-degree relatives.
We evaluated the resting electroencephalogram (EEG) of 50 first-episode schizophrenia patients and 55 of their relatives, 31 first-episode bipolar patients and 35 of their relatives, and 113 nonpsychiatric subjects and 42 of their relatives. The frequency characteristics of the EEG showed moderate stability for a subgroup of these subjects (n = 106) who were tested twice, approximately 9 months apart. Both the schizophrenia and bipolar patients showed a generalized pattern of increased delta and theta and decreased alpha activity. The bipolar patients demonstrated additional right hemisphere activity that was not present among the schizophrenia patients and nonpsychiatric subjects, a finding consistent with hypotheses concerning nondominant hemisphere involvement in the regulation of elated mood. The schizophrenia patients' female relatives and/or relatives with affective disorders and the bipolar patients had significantly reduced peak alpha frequencies. This finding may be related to reduced information processing capacity among these subjects.
Clementz
B A
BA
Department of Psychology, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0109.
Sponheim
S R
SR
Iacono
W G
WG
Beiser
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001143:Arousal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011603:Psychophysiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology