P300 amplitude as a possible correlate of frontal degeneration in schizophrenia

The existence of neurodegeneration is a debated issue in schizophrenia rese arch. The P300 component of event-related electrical potentials (ERP) has b een related to the different degree of damage to gray and white matter. Thi s study explores the possible relationship between P300 amplitude and/or la tency and the existence of degenerative processes in schizophrenia, by asse ssing its correlation with volume of sulcal CSF and duration of illness, as transversal indicators of neurodegeneration, Nineteen patients (14 males, 5 females) and 13 controls (6 males, 7 females) were studied with MRI and e lectrophysiologic al records (P300). The possible influence of sex and age at the time of the exploration was statistically controlled in both groups. The results show a significant negative correlation between P300 amplitude and prefrontal CSF volume in the patient group. A lower though still signi ficant correlation was also found between P300 amplitude and duration of il lness, whereas no correlation was found in the control group. These results support the hypothesis that P300 amplitude may be interpreted as a marker of neurodegeneration in schizophrenia. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.