P50 suppression in recent-onset schizophrenia: Clinical correlates and risperidone effects

Chronic schizophrenic patients often do not suppress the auditory P50 component of the event-related potential to the second of 2 clicks, presented 500 ms apart, suggesting a loss of normal inhibition. This study attempted to replicate the P50 suppression deficit in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia nd to examine whether P50 is related to clinical symptoms or is affected by an atypical antipsychotic medication. Data from 22 recent-onset schizophrenia patients and 11 normal controls revealed that disruption in P50 suppression is present during the early stages of illness. In addition, impaired P50 suppression covaried with clinical ratings of anxiety, depression, and anergia; results also suggested that the P50 inhibitory deficit may be related to the degree of patients' attentional impairment. Finally, risperidone, compared with a typical antipsychotic medication, im-proved inhibition of P50 to the second click. These results support P50 suppression as a measure of disordered neurocognition in schizophrenia. Abnormalities of attention and sensory perception have long attracted the interest of clinical investigators because such dis-turbances appear to be defining features of schizophrenia (e.g., Bleuler, 1911; McGhie & Chapman, 1961; Venables, 1964)