Computerized electroencephalogram in untreated schizophrenics: A comparison between disorganized and paranoid types

Computerized electroencephalogram (CEEG) data were obtained from 30 patients with the disorganized type and 20 patients with the paranoid type of acute untreated schizophrenia and compared with data from age- and sex-matched controls. All patients with acute untreated schizophrenia exhibited more pronounced delta, theta, alpha 1 and beta 1 activity and less prominent alpha 2 activity than the control subjects. These findings support previous studies, and indicate the coexistence of cerebral hypofunction and excitability in acute schizophrenic patients. Compared with the controls, patients with disorganized type schizophrenia had significant increases in theta and beta 1 and decreases in alpha 2 activities; but a significant increase in delta and alpha 1 activities in the posterior regions and beta 2 activity in the frontal regions of the brain. Patients with paranoid type schizophrenia showed significantly increased delta activity in the posterior regions, increased alpha 1 activity in the anterior regions and decreased alpha 2 activity in both these regions. In the paranoid type, however, there was no significant finding for the theta, beta 1 and beta 2 activities. Disorganized type schizophrenics exhibited more increased theta and decreased alpha2 activity than patients with paranoid type schizophrenia. The CEEG differences between the disorganized and the paranoid types appear to reflect different clinical entities and may help to differentiate both schizophrenias.