Clinical and biological concomitants of resting state EEG power abnormalities in schizophrenia

Background: This study investigated the clinical and biological concomitant s of electroencephalogram power abnormalities in schizophrenia, Methods: We examined the power characteristics of resting electroencephalog rams in 112 schizophrenic patients. Also collected were measures of psychot ic symptomatology, brain morphology, ocular motor functioning, electroderma l activity, and nailfold plexus visibility Seventy-eight nonschizophrenic p sychosis patients (e.g., mood disorder patients with psychosis) and 107 non psychiatric control subjects were included for comparison. Results: Schizophrenic patients whose electroencephalograms were characteri zed by augmented low-frequency power and diminished alpha-band power had mo re negative symptoms, larger third ventricles, larger frontal hems of the l ateral ventricles, increased cortical sulci widths; and greater ocular moto r dysfunction compared with schizophrenic patients without these electroenc ephalogram characteristics. In nonschizophrenic psychosis patients, augment ed low-frequency and diminished alpha-band powers failed to be associated w ith any clinical or biological indices. Conclusions: Results suggest that clinical and biological concomitants of l ow-frequency and alpha-band power abnormalities in schizophrenia are unique , perhaps indicating the presence of thalamic and frontal to be dysfunction . (C) 2000 Society of Biological Psychiatry.