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Electroencephalographic characteristics of Iranian schizophrenia patients

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Abstract

Schizophrenia is a prevalent psychiatric disease with heterogeneous causes that is diagnosed based on history and mental status examination. Applied electrophysiology is a non-invasive method to investigate the function of the involved brain areas. In a previously understudied population, we examined acute phase electroencephalography (EEG) records along with pertinent Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores for each patient. Sixty-four hospitalized patients diagnosed to have schizophrenia in Ebn-e-Sina Hospital were included in this study. PANSS and MMSE were completed and EEG tracings for every patient were recorded. Also, EEG tracings were recorded for 64 matched individuals of the control group. Although the predominant wave pattern in both patients and controls was alpha, theta waves were almost exclusively found in eight (12.5 %) patients with schizophrenia. Pathological waves in schizophrenia patients were exclusively found in the frontal brain region, while identified pathological waves in controls were limited to the temporal region. No specific EEG finding supported laterality in schizophrenia patients. PANSS and MMSE scores were significantly correlated with specific EEG parameters (all P values <0.04). Patients with schizophrenia demonstrate specific EEG patterns and show a clear correlation between EEG parameters and PANSS and MMSE scores. These characteristics are not observed in all patients, which imply that despite an acceptable specificity, they are not applicable for the majority of schizophrenia patients. Any deduction drawn based on EEG and scoring systems is in need of larger studies incorporating more patients and using better functional imaging techniques for the brain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center (PBSRC), Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, Iran

    Irman Chaychi

  2. Department of Neurology, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, Iran

    Mohsen Foroughipour

  3. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, Iran

    Hossein Haghir

  4. Medical Genetic Research Center (MGRC), School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, Iran

    Hossein Haghir

  5. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center (PBSRC), Journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health (JFMH), Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Ali Talaei

  6. Veterinary Faculty, Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran

    Ashkan Chaichi

Authors
  1. Irman Chaychi
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  2. Mohsen Foroughipour
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  3. Hossein Haghir
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  4. Ali Talaei
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  5. Ashkan Chaichi
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Correspondence to Irman Chaychi.

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Chaychi, I., Foroughipour, M., Haghir, H. et al. Electroencephalographic characteristics of Iranian schizophrenia patients. Acta Neurol Belg 115, 665–670 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-014-0415-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-014-0415-7

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