Description:
<jats:sec><jats:title>Aims</jats:title><jats:p>An abnormal activity in the electroencephalography (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EEG</jats:styled-content>) gamma band (>30 Hz) has been demonstrated in schizophrenia and this has been suggested to be reflecting a deficit in the development and maturation of the basic cognitive functions of attention, working memory and sensory processing. Hypothesizing gamma oscillatory activity as a potential <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EEG</jats:styled-content> biomarker to antipsychotic response in schizophrenia, the present study aimed at measuring baseline spontaneous gamma activity in schizophrenia patients, and evaluating its response to antipsychotic treatment over 8 weeks.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Fifteen drug‐free/naïve patients were recruited, compared at baseline with 15 age‐, sex‐ and education‐matched healthy controls, and were followed up for 8 weeks' treatment on antipsychotics. Resting state <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EEG</jats:styled-content> waves were recorded using high (192‐channel) resolution <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EEG</jats:styled-content> at admission, 4 weeks and 8 weeks. Spectral power was calculated using fast <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">F</jats:styled-content>ourier transformation, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">H</jats:styled-content>anning window. The power was averaged region‐wise over nine regions in three frequency ranges (30–50 Hz, 50–70 Hz, 70–100 Hz).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Patients and controls differed significantly at intake in terms of left temporal and parietal high (70–100 Hz) gamma power. Consequently, no significant differences were seen over the course of antipsychotic treatment on gamma spectral power in any of the regions.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Lack of significant effect of treatment on gamma power suggests that these gamma oscillations may be trait markers in schizophrenia.</jats:p></jats:sec>