METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN MEASUREMENT OF THE P300 COMPONENT OFTHE AUDITORY ODDBALL ERP IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Twenty-three schizophrenic patients and 26 age-matched control subject s were studied using the P300 recorded during the auditory oddball tas k, with counting. Our aim was to assess the most suitable method of me asurement and analysis of P300 amplitude and latency for use in clinic al studies of schizophrenia. The effect of high-pass filtering, peak d efinition method and recording electrode site were all investigated. W e have developed a technique, based on a least-mean-squares approximat ion to data, which seems particularly well suited to dealing with mult i-peak P300 complexes. We have also investigated the spectral composit ion of the P300 and have found some evidence to support a proposed 2-f requency model of the P300 complex.