The electrophysiological study on connection between right and left hemisphere in schizophrenia

1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 10670887
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: AKITA UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: NIIYAMA Yoshitsugu College of Allied Medical Science, Akita University, Professor, 医療技術短期大学部, 教授 (90208116)
• Project Period (FY): 1998 – 1999
• Keywords: magnetic stimulation / transcallosal response / hemisphere / schizophrenia / positive symptom

Research Abstract

In the preliminary study, human transcallosal responses were elicited by magnetic stimulation of homologous sites in contralateral scalp. With magnetic stimulation, the transcallosal response recorded was a positive component with peak latency of approximately 15-20 msec. The peak latencies of transcallosal response conducted from left to right hemisphere using magnetic stimulation was compared with those conducted in the opposite direction in six schizophrenic patients and fifteen controls. It was found that the peak latency of transcallosal response conducted from left to right hemisphere was shorter than that of the other way in all the controls. However, velocity superiority of the conduction from left to right hemisphere observed in controls was not confirmed in schizophrenic patients. It was suggested that the abnormal connection between right and left hemisphere causes some symptoms of schizophrenia. That is , the excessive transmission of informations from right to left hemisphere may produce the positive symptom ; e.g. auditory hallucination. Further studies using a more elaborate technique on numbers of schizophrenic patients are needed to support the present results.