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Frontal slow-wave activity as a predictor of negative symptoms, cognition and functional capacity in schizophrenia
Yu-Han Chen1, Breannan Stone-Howell2, J Christopher Edgar2
1Yu-Han Chen, PhD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia; Breannan Stone-Howell, MS, New Mexico Raymond G. Murphy VA Healthcare System, Psychiatry Research, Albuquerque, and The University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Albuquerque, New Mexico; J. Christopher Edgar, PhD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia; Mingxiong Huang, PhD, University of California, San Diego, Department of Radiology, and San Diego VA Healthcare System, Department of Radiology, San Diego, California; Cassandra Wootton, BS, New Mexico Raymond G. Murphy VA Healthcare System, Psychiatry Research, Albuquerque, and The University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Michael A. Hunter, BS, New Mexico Raymond G. Murphy VA Healthcare System, Psychiatry Research, Albuquerque, The University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Department of Psychology, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Brett Y. Lu, MD, PhD, The University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Psychiatry, Honolulu, Hawaii; Joseph R. Sadek, PhD, New Mexico Raymond G. Murphy VA Healthcare System, Psychiatry Research, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Gregory A. Miller, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, California; José M. Canĩve, MD, New Mexico Raymond G. Murphy VA Healthcare System, Psychiatry Research, Albuquerque, and The University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA cheny4@email.chop.edu.
Background:
Increased temporal and frontal slow-wave delta (1-4 Hz) and theta (4-7 Hz) activities are the most consistent resting-state neural abnormalities reported in schizophrenia. The frontal lobe is associated with negative symptoms and cognitive abilities such as attention, with negative symptoms and impaired attention associated with poor functional capacity.
Aims:
To establish whether frontal dysfunction, as indexed by slowing, would be associated with functional impairments.
Method:
Eyes-closed magnetoencephalography data were collected in 41 participants with schizophrenia and 37 healthy controls, and frequency-domain source imaging localised delta and theta activity.
Results:
Elevated delta and theta activity in right frontal and right temporoparietal regions was observed in the schizophrenia v.
Control Group:
In schizophrenia, right-frontal delta activity was uniquely associated with negative but not positive symptoms. In the full sample, increased right-frontal delta activity predicted poorer attention and functional capacity.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that treatment-associated decreases in slow-wave activity could be accompanied by improved functional outcome and thus better prognosis.
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