[Topographic aspects of visual and auditory evoked potentials in schizophrenics]

The EPs to bilaterally presented non-verbal and non-cognitive visual and auditory stimuli were studied in 15 schizophrenics and 15 normal subjects. Many anomalies of exogenous components of VEPs and AEPs were observed in schizophrenics in comparison with control subjects, pointing to an abnormal cerebral functioning. So, the patients presented: (1) a less interhemispheric difference in latency of P100 component of VEPs over the occipital area; (2) a decrease or a lack of left hemispheric predominance of P2 component of AEPs over the central area; (3) a lower interhemispheric waveform similarity both for VEPs and AEPs. These results suggest a lower hemispheric specialization and interhemispheric synchronization of EPs in schizophrenics.