EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS IN SCHIZOTYPAL PERSONALITY-DISORDER

This study examined whether abnormalities in event-related potentials (ERPs), reported in schizophrenia, extend to patients with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD). Auditory ERPs in an oddball paradigm were obtained in 19 SPD patients, 17 schizophrenic patients, and 20 normal control subjects (NCs). Schizophrenic patients had lower P300 amplitu de than NCs; the P300 amplitude of SPD patients was intermediate, show ing a linear trend but not a significant group difference. P200 amplit udes showed a similar trend. SPD patients had N100 and N200 amplitudes intermediate to schizophrenic patients and NCs, without significant g roup differences. Results suggest diminished P300 amplitude may not be as prominent in SPD as in schizophrenia. Studies with larger sample s izes, multiple lead assessment strategies, and more demanding tasks ma y further characterize EXP deficits in schizophrenia-spectrum disorder s such as SPD.