Schizophrenia

Despite the high prevalence of schizophrenia, which is a devastating mental disorder, the etiology and pathophysiology of this disease are still unclear. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has a high spatial and temporal resolution and has been used to make important contributions to schizophrenia research. In this chapter, we review MEG studies of schizophrenia, with an emphasis on event-related responses and neural oscillations. Published MEG studies suggest that patients with schizophrenia have neurophysiological deficits from the early phase of sensory processing (i.e., M50, M100, mismatch negativity) in auditory perception. Moreover, schizophrenia patients may have altered neural oscillations, and abnormalities of auditory steady-state responses to 40 Hz click stimuli are repeatedly reported. Because this research can be conducted in living schizophrenia patients, these biological results are highly valuable for understanding the etiology and pathophysiology of the disorder. As advanced medical technology becomes increasingly globally available, the clinical application of MEG to schizophrenia treatment may be imminent.