Altered interhemispheric signal propagation in schizophrenia and depression

Abstract Objective Altered interhemispheric connectivity is implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD) and may account for deficits in lateralized cognitive processes. We measured transcranial magnetic stimulation evoked interhemispheric signal propagation (ISP), a non-invasive measure of transcallosal connectivity, and hypothesized that the SCZ and MDD groups will have increased ISP compared to healthy controls. Methods We evaluated ISP over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in 34 patients with SCZ and 34 patients with MDD compared to 32 age and sex-matched healthy controls. Results ISP was significantly increased in patients with SCZ and patients with MDD compared to healthy controls but did not differ between patient groups. There were no effects of antidepressant, antipsychotic, and benzodiazepine medications on ISP and our results remained unchanged after re-analysis with a region of interest method. Conclusion Altered ISP was found in both SCZ and MDD patient groups. This indicates that disruptions of interhemispheric signaling processes can be indexed with ISP across psychiatric populations. Significance These findings enhance our knowledge of the physiological mechanisms of interhemispheric imbalances in SCZ and MDD, which may serve as potential treatment targets in future patients.