Decreased functional connectivity of EEG theta-frequency activity in first-episode, neuroleptic-naïve patients with schizophrenia: preliminary results

Koenig, Thomas; Lehmann, Dietrich; Saito, N.; Kuginuki, T.; Kinoshita, T.; Koukkou-Lehmann, Martha (2001). Decreased functional connectivity of EEG theta-frequency activity in first-episode, neuroleptic-naïve patients with schizophrenia: preliminary results. Schizophrenia Research, 50(1-2), pp. 55-60. Elsevier 10.1016/S0920-9964(00)00154-7

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We explored and refined the hypothesis that during a first episode of acute schizophrenia a disorganization of brain functioning is present. A novel EEG measure was introduced, Global Field Synchronization (GFS), that estimates functional connectivity of brain processes in different EEG frequency bands. The measure was applied to EEG's from 11 never-treated, first-episode, young patients with an acute, positive, schizophrenic symptomatology and from 19 controls, residing in Bern, Switzerland. In comparison to age- and sex- matched controls, patients had significantly decreased GFS in the theta EEG frequency band, indicating a loosened functional connectivity of processes in this frequency. The result was confirmed in an independent, comparable patient group from Osaka, Japan (9 patients and 9 controls), thus making a total of 20 analyzed patients. Previous EEG research in healthy, awake subjects indicated a positive correlation of theta activity with memory functions. Thus, our result suggests a loss of mutual interdependence of memory functions in patients with acute schizophrenia, which agrees well with previous reports of working memory dysfunction in schizophrenia.

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