Chunk #12 — DIMENSIONS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN NEUROLEPTIC-NAÏVE PATIENTS WITH RECENT-ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIA — EEG spectral profiles of positive and negative symptom sub-groups in neuroleptic-naïve patients with recent-onset schizophrenia
Quantitative electroencephalogram abnormalities have been frequently reported in schizophrenia.[33] A majority of these studies have focused on EEG spectral power and coherence derived from Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT)[34] of the recorded EEG signal. We studied EEG spectral power in neuroleptic-naïve, recent-onset schizophrenia subjects and healthy controls in the resting eyes closed condition. Spectral power was estimated at 30 scalp locations in 28 schizophrenia subjects and 25 controls.[19] Log-transformed weighted delta (0.5-4.0Hz), theta (4.5-8.0Hz), alpha1 (8.5-10Hz), and alpha2 (10.5-12.5Hz) power were initially compared between schizophrenia subjects and controls and subsequently between the positive symptom (PS) subgroup, negative symptom (NS) subgroup, and controls. Schizophrenia subjects showed higher delta and lower theta and alpha2 power when compared to healthy control subjects. The positive symptom sub-group was characterized by higher alpha1 power, whereas the negative symptom sub-group showed higher delta and lower alpha2 power [Figure 2].
