Abstract
Background: A growing body of literature suggests that schizophrenic patients often
do not show the normal brain hemispheric asymmetry. We have found this for simple
tones presented to the right ear in a previous study. In this study we extended this
investigation to left ear stimulation and verbal stimuli.
Methods: With a whole-head neuromagnetometer, contra- and ipsilateral auditory-evoked
magnetic fields in response to tones (1000 Hz) and to the syllables (“ba”) delivered
to the left and right ears in separate runs were compared between schizophrenic patients
(n = 17) and healthy control subjects (n = 15).
Results: In response to tones, all control subjects showed the expected asymmetry
(contralateral predominance) of the auditory-evoked magnetic N100m (dipole moment).
In the patient sample asymmetry was reversed following tones presented to the left
ear in 47% and following tones to the right ear in 24%. In response to syllables,
the asymmetry was similar between groups. In patients compared with control subjects
the N100m was located more anterior without asymmetry between hemispheres.
Conclusions: Results suggest that deviation from the normal functional lateralization
in schizophrenia appears in a proportion of patients at a basic stage of auditory
processing, but may be compensated for at higher levels such as the processing of
syllables.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
July 28,
2000
Received in revised form:
July 26,
2000
Received:
May 12,
2000
Identification
Copyright
© 2001 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
