EEG synchronization to modulated auditory tones in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The authors tested whether neural synchronization deficits were present in subjects with schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder.


METHODS
Amplitude-modulated tones were used to evaluate auditory steady-state evoked potential entrainment in a combined group of 21 subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, 11 subjects with schizotypal personality disorder, and 22 nonpsychiatric comparison subjects.


RESULTS
The schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder group exhibited decreased power compared to the schizotypal personality disorder and nonpsychiatric comparison groups. There were no differences between groups in N100 amplitude.


CONCLUSIONS
Subjects with schizophrenia but not subjects with schizotypal personality disorder have deficits in steady-state responses to periodic stimuli, despite an intact response to sensory-evoked potentials (N100). These deficits reflect aberrant neural synchronization or resolution and may contribute to disturbed perceptual and cognitive integration in schizophrenia.
Brenner
Colleen A
CA
Department of Psychology, Indiana University, 1101 East Tenth St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
Sporns
Olaf
O
Lysaker
Paul H
PH
O'Donnell
Brian F
BF
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010898:Pitch Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013018:Sound Spectrography