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A comparison of visual and acoustic mismatch negativity as potential biomarkers in schizophrenia
Hajnalka Molnár1, Csilla Marosi1, Melinda Becske1
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
Abstract:
Mismatch negativity (MMN) is an event-related potential (ERP) component generated when an unexpected deviant stimulus occurs in a pattern of standard stimuli. Several studies showed that the MMN response to both auditory and visual stimuli is attenuated in schizophrenia. While previous studies investigated auditory and visual MMN in different cohorts, here we examined the potential clinical utility of MMN responses to auditory and visual stimuli within the same group of patients. Altogether 39 patients with schizophrenia and 39 healthy controls matched in age, gender, and education were enrolled. We recorded EEG using 64 channels in eight experimental blocks where we presented auditory and visual stimulus sequences. Mismatch responses were obtained by subtracting responses to standard from the physically identical deviant stimuli. We found a significant MMN response to the acoustic stimuli in the control group, whereas no significant mismatch response was observed in the patient group. The group difference was significant for the acoustic stimuli. The 12 vane windmill pattern evoked a significant MMN response in the early time window in the control group but not in the patient group. The 6 vane windmill pattern evoked MMN only in the patient group. However, we found no significant difference between the groups. Furthermore, we found no correlation between the clinical variables and the MMN amplitudes. Our results suggest that predictive processes underlying mismatch generation in patients with schizophrenia may be more affected in the acoustic compared to the visual domain. Acoustic MMN tends to be a more promising biomarker in schizophrenia.
Insights
Mismatch negativity (MMN), an auditory and visual event-related potential, is reduced in schizophrenia. Acoustic MMN shows greater deficits in patients, suggesting it may be a more promising biomarker for schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Mismatch negativity (MMN) is an event-related potential (ERP) reflecting auditory and visual processing.
- Previous research indicates attenuated MMN responses in schizophrenia patients for both auditory and visual stimuli.
- Investigating auditory and visual MMN in the same patient cohort is crucial for understanding clinical utility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare auditory and visual mismatch negativity (MMN) in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls.
- To assess the clinical utility of MMN as a biomarker in schizophrenia.
- To explore the impact of stimulus modality on predictive processing deficits in schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- 39 schizophrenia patients and 39 healthy controls underwent EEG recording.
- Auditory and visual stimulus sequences were presented in eight experimental blocks.
- MMN was calculated by subtracting standard stimulus responses from deviant stimulus responses.
Main Results:
- A significant acoustic MMN was observed in controls but not in schizophrenia patients, with a significant group difference.
- Visual MMN (12-vane windmill pattern) was present in controls but not patients in an early time window; no significant group difference was found for the 6-vane pattern.
- No correlation was found between MMN amplitudes and clinical variables in schizophrenia patients.
Conclusions:
- Predictive processing deficits in schizophrenia appear more pronounced in the acoustic than the visual domain.
- Acoustic MMN demonstrates potential as a more sensitive biomarker for schizophrenia compared to visual MMN.
- These findings highlight the differential impact of schizophrenia on auditory versus visual predictive coding mechanisms.
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