Altered gamma band noise power in schizophrenia and bipolar patients during a cognitive task

• Benjamín Cea-Cañas ^[2] ; Álvaro Díez ^[1] ; Alba Lubeiro ^[1] ; María Iglesias ^[3] ; Carmen Capella ^[4] ; Alberto Rodríguez-Lorenzana ^[5] ; Vicente Molina ^[6]
  1. [1] Universidad de Valladolid

     Universidad de Valladolid

     Valladolid, España

     
  2. [2] Clinical Neurophysiology Service. Clinical Hospital of Valladolid. Valladolid. Spaina
  3. [3] Clinical Neurophysiology Service. Clinical Hospital of Valladolid. Valladolid. Spain
  4. [4] Psychiatry Service, Clinical Hospital of Valladolid. Valladolid. Spain
  5. [5] School of Psychology, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
  6. [6] Neurosciences Institute of Castilla y León (INCYL), School of Medicine, University of Valladolid/ Psychiatry Service, Clinical Hospital of Valladolid/ Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid. Valladolid. Spain

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• Localización: European journal of psychiatry, ISSN 0213-6163, Vol. 35, Nº 3, 2021, págs. 129-139
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpsy.2020.11.003
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• Resumen

  • Background and Objectives:

    “Noise power” (NP) is a measure that allows the assessment of the fast-firing synchronization of neural oscillations. We aimed to replicate higher gamma NP values in frontal and midline regions in patients with schizophrenia and re-evaluate its specificity to this disorder. We also aimed to assess the relationship of higher gamma NP values with drug treatment, chronicity, cognition and symptoms.

    Methods:

    Gamma NP values were obtained from electroencephalograms recorded during an oddball paradigm from 29 patients with schizophrenia, 27 with bipolar disorder and 36 healthy controls. We compared these values between the groups to evaluate the specificity to diagnosis. Altered gamma NP values were compared between the patients who had and had not received different treatments to assess the relationship with drug treatment. We also analyse the correlation between gamma NP values and chronicity, symptoms, and cognition.

    Results.

    Compared to controls, patients with schizophrenia presented increased gamma NP values in frontal and parietal midline regions, while bipolar patients showed increased gamma NP in the left frontal region. There was no significant relationship between drug treatment or chronicity with altered values. Increased gamma NP correlated with higher negative symptom scores in the schizophrenia group, but not with cognitive impairment in any of the groups of patients.

    Conclusions:

    We replicated an increase in gamma NP in patients with schizophrenia and found that this alteration was also present in a milder form in bipolar patients. These alterations seem to be independent of pharmacological treatment and illness duration.