Language processing abnormalities in adolescents with psychotic-like experiences: an event related potential study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Language impairments are common in schizophrenia and individuals at risk for psychosis.
• Adolescents with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) face an increased risk of developing psychosis later in life.
• Electrophysiological correlates of language comprehension in this at-risk group remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate electrophysiological differences in language comprehension between adolescents with PLEs and controls.
• To examine the P300 component of EEG as an indicator of receptive language processing in at-risk adolescents.
• To identify potential early neurobiological markers of psychosis risk.

Main Methods:

• A 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) was used to record brain activity.
• 37 adolescents (16 at-risk for psychosis, 21 controls) participated.
• Participants completed the British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS-II) receptive vocabulary task.

Main Results:

• The at-risk group demonstrated behavioral impairments in receptive language skills.
• Adolescents with PLEs exhibited a reduced P300 amplitude compared to the control group during the language task.
• These findings suggest electrophysiological evidence of receptive language deficits in adolescents with PLEs.

Conclusions:

• Early receptive language deficits, evidenced by reduced P300 amplitude, are present in adolescents with PLEs.
• These neurobiological changes may represent early indicators of psychosis risk during adolescence.
• The study highlights the potential of EEG in identifying individuals at risk for psychosis.