Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra
Published on: September 8, 2021
Neurophysiological correlates of excitement in schizophrenia
Alex Sumich1, Antonio Castro, Ananth P P Anilkumar
1Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Objective:
The excitement cluster (excitement, hostility, uncooperativeness and impulsivity) may contribute to the risk of violent behaviour, treatment non-adherence, likelihood of discharge and substance use in psychosis. Evidence suggests involvement of frontal executive mechanisms that may show sex differences in their association with symptom severity. The current study tests the association between excitement and the frontal N200 and P300 components of the auditory event-related potential in schizophrenia as a function of sex.
Method:
Fourteen men and 14 women with schizophrenia (mean illness duration=20years) completed a novelty oddball and clinical interview.
Results:
Men showed higher midline N200 and lower novelty P300 amplitude than women. They had more pronounced differences between midline and lateral N200 amplitude, and did not show the same Novel>Target effect for right frontal P300 as did women. Right frontal N200 amplitude to target stimuli was positively associated with excitement in women and inversely associated with excitement in men. Novelty P300 amplitude was inversely associated with excitement, particularly in women and over the right hemisphere.
Conclusion:
Results suggest that mechanisms underpinning frontal N200 and P300 subcomponents are differentially involved in excitement depending on sex. Understanding these individual differences may have implications for developing personalised treatment.
Related Concept Videos
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Cognitive Theories: Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion
Physiological Arousal and Cognitive Labeling
According to this theory, when an individual experiences physiological...
Physiology of Emotion
Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a critical role in emotional responses by regulating involuntary physiological functions. It consists of two main components: the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic system...
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...

