Some Features of the Auditory Evoked Response in Schizophrenics

Abstract

Twenty-one schizophrenics and 21 controls were exposed to a tenminute sequence of frequent and infrequent auditory stimuli. The amplitude of the third positive-going component (p₃) of the average evoked response to infrequent stimuli was much larger in the control group (<i>P</i>&lt;.0003). Using a P₃amplitude of 3.20μv in the first 2.5 minutes as a dividing point, only seven of the 42 subjects were misclassified. This amplitude had a significant correlation of -.48 with patient's age at first hospitalization. Amplitude of the second positive-going component (P₂) to frequent stimuli was also much larger in the control group (P&lt;.003). This amplitude has a significant correlation of -.41 with medication dosage in terms of equivalent amounts of chlorpromazine. Behavioral scales failed to correlate significantly with evoked response measures. Evoked response latencies did not distinguish the two groups.