title: Effects of clozapine on perceptual abnormalities and sensory gating: a preliminary cross-sectional study in schizophrenia.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of second-generation antipsychotics (clozapine or another second-generation antipsychotic) on perceptual abnormalities related to sensory gating deficit. Although clozapine is known to improve sensory gating assessed neurophysiologically, we hypothesized that patients with schizophrenia treated with clozapine would report less perceptual abnormalities related to sensory gating deficit than patients treated with other second-generation antipsychotics do. Forty patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were investigated (10 patients treated with clozapine and 30 patients treated with another second-generation antipsychotic drug). Perceptual abnormalities were assessed with the Sensory Gating Inventory. Sensory gating was assessed through electroencephalogram with the auditory event-related potential method by measuring P50 amplitude changes in a dual click conditioning-testing procedure. Patients treated with clozapine present normal sensory gating and report less perceptual abnormalities related to sensory gating than patients treated with other second-generation antipsychotics do. Although the cross-sectional design of this study is limited because causal inferences cannot be clearly concluded, the present study suggests clinical and neurophysiological advantages of clozapine compared with other second-generation antipsychotics and provides a basis for future investigations on the effect of this treatment on perceptual abnormalities related to sensory gating deficit in patients with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: From the *Pôle de Psychiatrie "Solaris," and †Unité de Neurophysiologie et Psychophysiologie, Pôle de Psychiatrie Universitaire, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sainte Marguerite; ‡Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7291; §Laboratoire de Mécanique et d'Acoustique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Propre de Recherche 7051, Aix Marseille Université, Centrale Marseille, Marseille; ∥Inserm, Unité Mixte de Recherche, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1144, Paris; Fondation Fondamental, Créteil; ¶Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Groupe Hospitalier Saint Louis, Lariboisière, Fernand Widal, Pôle Neurosciences; #Université Paris Descartes; **Université Paris Diderot, Paris; and ††Laboratoire de Santé Publique Évaluation des Systèmes de Soins et Santé Perçue, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, Equipe d'Accueil 3279, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Arthur
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Micoulaud-Franchi
authors.forename: Mitsuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aramaki
authors.forename: Pierre Alexis
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Geoffroy
authors.forename: Raphaëlle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Richieri
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cermolacce
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faget
authors.forename: Sølvi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ystad
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kronland-Martinet
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lancon
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vion-Dury
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003024:Clozapine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010465:Perception / Q000187:drug effects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055139:Sensory Gating / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003024:Clozapine