Changed neuronal coupling in schizophrenia

In medicine, there is a growing interest in gaining new insights into the main physiological control mechanisms functioning and interactions, both in health and in disease. Recently, we developed a new method, the Normalized Short Time Partial Directed Coherence (NSTPDC) method, for analyzing complex dynamic systems couplings. In this study, the relationships between cortical neural recordings (EEG signals) in patients with schizophrenia were investigated. Overall, we observed less dynamic couplings, fewer interactions (except in the frontal and right temporal areas) and an increased complexity of the EEG channels´ coupling. In conclusion, using the NSTPDC method we achieved significant information, regarding the dynamical behavior (strength and the coupling direction) of the neuronal interactions in schizophrenia.