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.
Department of Psychology, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0109.
B A
BA
Clementz
S R
SR
Sponheim
W G
WG
Iacono
M
M
Beiser
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