Hypofrontality - a risk-marker related to schizophrenia?

In order to better understand whether cortical hypoactivation and hypofront ality is a possible risk marker for schizophrenia, we investigated resting EEG activity in 39 unmedicated schizophrenics and 21 persons with schizotyp al personality. Compared to a normal control group, we found an increased, frontally pronounced delta activity in schizophrenic patients, a result tha t is in accordance with other studies. Subjects with schizotypal personalit y, who are believed to have an increased risk for schizophrenia, did not sh ow an increase of delta activity. From this result, we concluded that corti cal hypoactivation and hypofrontality - defined as an increase of frontally pronounced delta activity during resting EEG - cannot be interpreted as a risk factor for schizophrenia. However, since it is controversial whether s ubjects with schizotypal personality are at increased risk for schizophreni a, further studies in unaffected family members of schizophrenic patients a re needed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.