Antipsychotic effects on auditory sensory gating in schizophrenia patients

Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2009 Dec;19(12):905-9. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2009.09.001. Epub 2009 Oct 14.

Abstract

P50 sensory gating deficit has repeatedly been demonstrated in schizophrenia. Studies have produced inconsistent findings with respect to normalization of P50 gating in patients with schizophrenia receiving treatment with different antipsychotics. The current study was designed to determine whether there is a difference in P50 gating in schizophrenia patients treated with first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), including clozapine. P50 evoked potential recordings were obtained from 160 patients with schizophrenia and 77 healthy comparison subjects. Forty-three patients were being treated with clozapine, sixty-eight were taking SGAs (33 risperidone, 21 olanzapine, 11 aripiprazole, and 3 combinations of SGAs) and 49 were being treated with FGAs. Schizophrenia patients exhibited significantly higher P50 ratios than healthy subjects. When patients treated with different antipsychotics were compared, there were no differences in any of the neurophysiological findings. Second-generation antipsychotics were not related to more normal sensory gating in this population of patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation / methods
  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Antipsychotic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Electroencephalography
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory / drug effects*
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Reaction Time / drug effects
  • Reflex, Startle / drug effects*
  • Reflex, Startle / physiology
  • Schizophrenia / drug therapy
  • Sensory Gating / drug effects*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents