|
Several studies to investigate the functional brain disturbances in schizophrenia were performed by using electroencephalographs(EEGs) for several decades. Recently with the rapid development of computer system, the methods by which brain electrical activity can be measured and analyzed quantitatively have been available. We undertook a study of electroencephalographs in 16 medicated patients who fulfilled the DSM-III-R criteria for acute schizophrenia, and compared them with 15 normal healthy volunteers by usning computerized topographic technique that maps brain electriclal activity. We analyzed the data from monopolar recording in terms of spectral power, interhemispheric asymmetry, interhemispheric coherence and intrahemisphere coherence in each EEG frequency band(delta, theta, alpha, beta). In schizophrenics, the increase of the absolute power of delta, theta and beta frequency band was observed at F7, Cz and Pz site. The interhemispheric coherence was significantly higher in schizophrenic patients for delta, theta, beta frequency band in frontal (Fp1/Fp2) and temporal area(T5/T6). Schizophrenics had higher interhemispheric asymmetry for delta and beta frequency band in temporal (T5/T6), occipital(O1/O2) region respectively. These results suggest that schizophrenics have more functional abnormalities in various topographic regions of the brain compared with normal control. The possible meanings of these observations are discussed.
|