Long-Range Temporal Correlations in Resting State Beta Oscillations are Reduced in Schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• Schizophrenia (SCZ) is linked to synaptic dysfunction and large-scale neural dysconnectivity.
• Temporal dysconnectivity, measured by long-range temporal correlations (LRTCs), is increasingly recognized in SCZ.
• Previous studies indicate reduced temporal stability in alpha and beta frequency bands in SCZ.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate findings of altered temporal stability in schizophrenia using high-density electroencephalography (EEG).
• To investigate differences in LRTCs between individuals with SCZ and healthy controls (HCs) with enhanced spatial accuracy.
• To explore associations between LRTCs, SCZ symptoms, and cognitive deficits.

Main Methods:

• Recorded eyes-open resting state EEG data from 23 individuals with SCZ and 24 HCs using a 128-channel system.
• Calculated LRTCs for alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (13-25 Hz) frequency bands.
• Performed exploratory source projection of LRTCs using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA).

Main Results:

• Significantly reduced beta-band LRTCs were observed in individuals with SCZ compared to HCs, particularly in bilateral posterior regions.
• No significant group differences were found in alpha-band LRTCs.
• No significant correlations were found between LRTC values and individual SCZ symptoms or cognitive deficits.

Conclusions:

• This study confirms reduced temporal stability in the beta frequency band in individuals with schizophrenia.
• The lack of alpha-band differences may be due to the eyes-open condition used in this study.
• LRTCs serve as a valuable marker for network instability in schizophrenia, offering new insights into neural dysfunction.