40-Hz auditory steady-state response deficits are correlated with the severity of persistent auditory verbal hallucination in patients with schizophrenia

Background

Abnormal 40 Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) has been observed in some psychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, the role of 40 Hz ASSR in persistent auditory verbal hallucinations (pAVHs) schizophrenia (SCZ) is still unknown. This study aims to investigate whether the 40 Hz ASSR impairment is related to pAVHs and can detect pAVHs severity.

Methods

We analyzed high-density electroencephalography data that from 43 pAVHs patients (pAVH group), 20 moderate auditory verbal hallucinations patients (mid-AVH group), and 24 without auditory verbal hallucinations patients (non-AVH group). Event-related spectral perturbation and inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) were calculated to quantify dynamic changes of the 40 Hz ASSR power and ITPC, respectively.

Results

Frontal-central, the 40 Hz ASSR power, and ITPC were significantly lower in the pAVH group than in the non-AVH group; There was no significant difference between the pAVH and mid-AVH group. The 40 Hz ASSR was significantly negatively correlated with the severity of pAVHs. The 40 Hz ASSR power, and ITPC could be used as a combinational marker to detect SCZ patients with and without pAVHs.

Conclusion

Our findings have shed light on the pathological mechanism of pAVHs in SCZ patients. These results can provide potential avenues for therapeutic intervention of pAVHs.