Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
Published on: January 29, 2014
Inherited auditory-cortical dysfunction in twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia
Jyrki Ahveninen1, Iiro P Jääskeläinen, Daria Osipova
1Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School-Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA. jyrki@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu
Background:
Information on the inheritance of neurophysiological abnormalities might help elucidate the molecular genetic basis of schizophrenia. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the inheritance of auditory-cortical deficiencies in twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia.
Methods:
Auditory EEG/MEG responses to frequent standard and occasional deviant tones were measured in mono- and dizygotic (MZ and DZ) twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia and demographically matched healthy twin pairs, recruited from a total population cohort. The MEG/EEG results were regressed against the genetic resemblance to patients with schizophrenia across the patients' unaffected MZ/DZ co-twins and control subjects (with genetic correlations of 1, .5, and 0 to schizophrenia patients, respectively).
Results:
The EEG responses P50, N100, and mismatch negativity (MMN), as well as the MEG response P50m, were reduced in the schizophrenic patients. P50 and N100 were significantly decreased also in their unaffected co-twins, as compared with the control subjects. Importantly, the P50 and N100 decrease correlated with the unaffected subjects' genetic resemblance to schizophrenia patients.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest inherited abnormalities in cortical auditory processing in schizophrenia, reflected by the decreased P50/P50m and N100 amplitudes, whereas the MMN abnormalities might reflect predominantly state-dependent neurodegeneration.
Related Concept Videos
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Sex-linked Disorders
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
Pleiotropy
Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
Language and Cognition

