Reduced P50 suppression is associated with the cognitive disorganisation dimension of schizotypy

Individuals with schizophrenia fail to demonstrate a reduction in the P50 event-related potential (ERP) to the second of two identical auditory stimuli presented in close succession. This deficit could lead to sensory overload, cognitive disintegration and perhaps some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. However, evidence linking poor P50 suppression to symptoms in patients with schizophrenia has been equivocal; possibly because of the effects of smoking status and antipsychotic medication on both of these variables. The aim of this study was to remove these potentially confounding factors by testing 74 healthy non-smoking participants and assessing the relationship between P50 suppression and dimensions of schizotypy. Multiple regression analyses revealed that individuals scoring highly on the cognitive disorganisation dimension of schizotypy had reduced P50 suppression and a smaller amplitude of response to the first stimulus. No robust associations were found between any P50 variables and the positive or negative dimensions of schizotypy. N100 suppression was also examined using the dual click paradigm but no relationships were found with any of the schizotypy dimensions. Thus individuals high in the cognitive disorganisation dimension of schizotypy have a deficit in inhibiting repetitive information at an early pre-attentive stage of processing, as measured by the P50 ERP, but this did not extend to a later early attentive stage, as reflected by the N100 wave. This research supports the view that there is a link between poor P50 suppression and certain symptom clusters in schizophrenia.