Neurophysiology of Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Cognitive neurophysiology, the investigation of perceptual and cognitive tasks with EEG or MEG, is a key technique for the investigation of information processing in schizophrenia. In the present chapter we first provide an introduction to the techniques and signals of non-invasive electrophysiology (Part 1) and then explain its application to perceptual (2) and cognitive processes (3). We discuss some of the most widely investigated and replicated electrophysiological features of schizophrenia, including the P50, P1, MMN and P3. Recent applications of time frequency analysis techniques have allowed for a more detailed investigation of the neural mechanisms of cognition and its dysfunction through measures of oscillatory activity (4). We finally introduce some of the current approaches that combine non-invasive neurophysiology, pharmacology and genetics. We will discuss their findings in the context of cellular and molecular models of schizophrenia, particularly in relation to several neurotransmitter systems (5). We argue that cognitive neurophysiology can provide interesting intermediate phenotypes of schizophrenia.