Auditory P300 studies in schizophrenic subjects and their first degree relatives

Nineteen subjects with schizophrenia, 6 subjects with related disorders (schizophrenic spectrum disorders (S.S.D.)), and 20 unaffected first degree relatives from a sample of schizophrenic pedigrees, together with 35 normal control subjects, had auditory P300 evoked responses measured, using the "odd-ball" paradigm for stimulation. Bipolar recording on the midline (CZOZ) and two contralateral sites (CZ-mastoid) was carried out. It was found that approximately 40% of schizophrenics/S.S.D.'s had abnormal P300 responses. Abnormalities were seen in latency, RMS response voltage and in the left side response--right side response cross correlation coefficient. Schizophrenics/S.S.D.s showed responses which were topographically different than those of normal controls. Significant left-side/right-side response voltage asymmetry was not observed. In our study, only 10% of unaffected relatives of schizophrenics/S.S.D.'s showed abnormal P300 responses.