SOMATOSENSORY EVOKED-POTENTIALS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A LATERALIZATION STUDY

The SSEPs obtained from 19 schizophrenics defined by RDC, DSM-III and PSE criteria were compared with those from a control group of healthy volunteers. Previous findings of an abnormal lack of lateralising response in schizophrenic patients were not replicated. No significant difference in either amplitude or morphology between the traces obtained from the two groups were recorded. Ipsilateral and contralateral latencies for stimulation of the left and right index finger showed no significant difference in peak latency for any component between patient and control group. When mean peak-to-peak amplitudes were plotted the contralateral component was always greater in amplitude than the ipsilateral one. An objective measure of the degree of lateralisation, the percentage lateralisation quotient, showed no lateralisation differences between the patient and control groups. A case of myogenic contamination of ipsilateral components was observed calling into doubt findings where no temporal region monitoring has been performed.