Increased duration and altered topography of EEG microstates during cognitive tasks in chronic schizophrenia

The surface EEGs of 32 medicated chronic schizophrenic patients, 12 unmedicated chronic schizophrenics and 35 matched healthy controls were analyzed by adaptive segmentation of continuous EEG during a rest condition, a mental arithmetic task, and a CNV paradigm. Results indicate increased duration of brain microstates in both unmedicated and medicated schizophrenics as well as reduced topographic variability. These findings did not vary across the different tasks. Comparing different cognitive tasks, schizophrenics and controls alike showed task-related changes of electric field topography, of EEG microstate duration and of the number of very short microstates (single-peak segments). However, the topography of the microstates during the tasks differed significantly in both medicated and unmedicated schizophenics from that of controls. Age, sex and educational levels did not influence these findings. Neuroleptic medication correlated negatively with microstate duration in a dose-dependent way. There was an inverse relationship between topographic variability and negative symptoms as well as BPRS scores. It is concluded that the temporo-spatial characteristics of brain electric activity indicate an impoverished array of functional modes and enhanced stability of brain electrical microstates in schizophrenia.