Slapø Nora Berz, Nerland Stener, Nordbø Jørgensen Kjetil, Mørch-Johnsen Lynn, Pettersen Johanne Hagen, Roelfs Daniel, Parker Nadine, Valstad Mathias, Pentz Atle, Timpe Clara M F, Richard Geneviève, Beck Dani, Werner Maren C Frogner, Lagerberg Trine Vik, Melle Ingrid, Agartz Ingrid, Westlye Lars T, Steen Nils Eiel, Andreassen Ole A, Moberget Torgeir, Elvsåshagen Torbjørn, Jönsson Erik G
Department of medicine, NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Schizophr Bull Open. 2023 Jun 9;4(1):sgad015. doi: 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgad015. eCollection 2023 Jan 1.
The auditory cortex (AC) may play a central role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and auditory hallucinations (AH). Previous schizophrenia studies report thinner AC and impaired AC function, as indicated by decreased N100 amplitude of the auditory evoked potential. However, whether these structural and functional alterations link to AH in schizophrenia remain poorly understood.
Patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SCZ), including patients with a lifetime experience of AH (AH+), without (AH-), and healthy controls underwent magnetic resonance imaging (39 SCZ, 22 AH+, 17 AH-, and 146 HC) and electroencephalography (33 SCZ, 17 AH+, 16 AH-, and 144 HC). Cortical thickness of the primary (AC1, Heschl's gyrus) and secondary (AC2, Heschl's sulcus, and the planum temporale) AC was compared between SCZ and controls and between AH+, AH-, and controls. To examine if the association between AC thickness and N100 amplitude differed between groups, we used regression models with interaction terms.
N100 amplitude was nominally smaller in SCZ ( = .03, = 0.42) and in AH- ( = .020, = 0.61), while AC2 was nominally thinner in AH+ ( = .02, = 0.53) compared with controls. AC1 thickness was positively associated with N100 amplitude in SCZ ( = 2.56, = .016) and AH- ( = 3.18, = .008), while AC2 thickness was positively associated with N100 amplitude in SCZ ( = 2.37, = .024) and in AH+ ( = 2.68, = .019).
The novel findings of positive associations between AC thickness and N100 amplitude in SCZ, suggest that a common neural substrate may underlie AC thickness and N100 amplitude alterations.
听觉皮层（AC）可能在精神分裂症及幻听（AH）的病理生理学中起核心作用。先前关于精神分裂症的研究报告称，听觉皮层变薄且功能受损，这可通过听觉诱发电位的N100波幅降低得以体现。然而，这些结构和功能改变是否与精神分裂症中的幻听有关，目前仍知之甚少。
患有精神分裂症谱系障碍（SCZ）的患者，包括有终身幻听经历的患者（AH+）、无幻听经历的患者（AH-）以及健康对照者，均接受了磁共振成像检查（39例SCZ患者、22例AH+患者、17例AH-患者和146例健康对照者）和脑电图检查（33例SCZ患者、17例AH+患者、16例AH-患者和144例健康对照者）。比较了SCZ组与对照组之间以及AH+组、AH-组与对照组之间初级听觉皮层（AC1，颞横回）和次级听觉皮层（AC2，颞横沟和颞平面）的皮质厚度。为了检验AC厚度与N100波幅之间的关联在不同组之间是否存在差异，我们使用了带有交互项的回归模型。
SCZ组（p = 0.03，效应量 = 0.42）和AH-组（p = 0.020，效应量 = 0.61）的N100波幅名义上较小，而与对照组相比，AH+组的AC2名义上更薄（p = 0.02，效应量 = 0.53）。在SCZ组（β = 2.56，p = 0.016）和AH-组（β = 3.18，p = 0.008）中，AC1厚度与N100波幅呈正相关，而在SCZ组（β = 2.37，p = 0.024）和AH+组（β = 2.68，p = 0.019）中，AC2厚度与N100波幅呈正相关。
SCZ组中AC厚度与N100波幅呈正相关这一新颖发现表明，AC厚度和N100波幅改变可能存在共同的神经基础。
