EEG coherence and syndromes in schizophrenia

Frith et al (1995) and others have hypothesised that disruptions in the connection between left frontal and temporal areas of the brain are a central deficit in schizophrenia. In this paper we examine whether such connectivity as assessed by EEG coherence is related to level of symptoms in patients...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of psychiatry 1997-05, Vol.170 (5), p.411-415
Main Authors: Norman, R. M. G., Malla, A. K., Williamson, P. C., Morrison-Stewart, S. L., Helmes, E., Cortese, L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Brain - physiopathology
Brain Diseases - physiopathology
Electroencephalography
Female
Frontal Lobe - physiopathology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Numerical analysis
Patients
Psychiatry
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - diagnosis
Schizophrenia - physiopathology
Schizophrenic Psychology
Syndrome
Temporal Lobe - physiopathology
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Summary:Frith et al (1995) and others have hypothesised that disruptions in the connection between left frontal and temporal areas of the brain are a central deficit in schizophrenia. In this paper we examine whether such connectivity as assessed by EEG coherence is related to level of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. For 73 patients with schizophrenia, assessment of the EEG coherence between frontal and temporal regions were carried out under conditions of activation by a mathematical task, and between frontal and occipital regions when performing a visuo-spatial task. We then examined the relationship between these coherence measures and the reality distortion, disorganisation and psychomotor poverty dimensions of symptomatology. Only left frontal-temporal connectivity was found to have a significant negative relationship to symptomatology. This relationship was, however, specific to reality distortion rather than to symptoms of disorganisation or psychomotor poverty, and may be more characteristic of males than females. Disruption of frontal-temporal connectivity appears to have a specific relationship to reality distortion symptoms in schizophrenia.
ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/bjp.170.5.411