[The use of event related potentials in psychiatric research]

Event related potentials (ERPs) originate predominantly from cortical structures in response to information processing. In contrast to evoked potentials of short latency (<100 ms), long latency cognitive ERPs are not directly related to the physical characteristics of the stimulus, but rather to the information and meaning that the stimulus has for the investigated person.

The aim of this review article was to present selected research questions in psychiatry that can be addressed with ERP studies. As examples we used studies performed in patients with schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

ERPs can be recorded during well established cognitive tests in psychiatry: go-no go, n-back, continuous performance test (CPT), Wisconsin card sorting test, Stroop test, verbal learning test and many others. Several ERP components are used as endophenotypes in genetic psychiatric research.

ERPs can be also useful in clinic related questions: identification of subject at high-risk of psychosis, assessment of attention deficits or selective attention problems in anxiety disorders, evaluation of early response to psychopharmacological treatment and efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions.