Objective:To explore the relationship between negative symptoms and resting alpha-band power in patients with schizophrenia.Method:Thirteen patients with schizophrenia who met the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria were scanned by magnetoencephalography (MEG) in the eyes-closed resting state. The alpha-band powers were calculated using the short-time sliding window method in the time domain. The powers of eight brain regions include left frontal lobe,right frontal lobe,left temporal lobe,right temporal lobe,left parietal lobe,right parietal lobe,left occipital lobe and right occipital lobe. The average powers of these regions were obtained respectively. Clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS),which evaluated 30 items covering positive and negative symptoms and general psychopathology. The patients were then divided into the less negative symptom group (i.e.,a lower score than the median) and the highly negative symptom group (i.e., a higher score than the median) according to the negative symptom scores. A nonparametric rank sum test,Wilcoxon two-sample rank sum test,was used to compare the difference between the two groups in the total alpha power and the alpha powers of eight brain regions. Multivariate linear regression was then used to analyze the relationship between the alpha power of the right temporal region and negative symptoms. Analysis of covariance was used to control for the confounding effects of anxiety and depression and years of education on the negative symptoms. Kendall′s tau-b analysis was used to explore the correlation between the negative symptoms and the alpha powers of eight brain regions.Result:There was a significant difference ( Z=-2.143, P=0.032) in the alpha powers of the right temporal lobe between the two groups. The negative symptom scale score can be contributed by the changes of alpha power in the right temporal lobe, years of education,anxiety and depression factor scores and positive symptom scale score (corrected r2=0.894). The alpha power of the right temporal lobe had a significant effect on negative symptoms ( t=3.965, P=0.004). Conclusion:The negative symptoms of schizophrenic patients may be related to the abnormal alpha power in the right temporal lobe.

Objective:To explore the relationship between negative symptoms and resting alpha-band power in patients with schizophrenia.Method:Thirteen patients with schizophrenia who met the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria were scanned by magnetoencephalography (MEG) in the eyes-closed resting state. The alpha-band powers were calculated using the short-time sliding window method in the time domain. The powers of eight brain regions include left frontal lobe,right frontal lobe,left temporal lobe,right temporal lobe,left parietal lobe,right parietal lobe,left occipital lobe and right occipital lobe. The average powers of these regions were obtained respectively. Clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS),which evaluated 30 items covering positive and negative symptoms and general psychopathology. The patients were then divided into the less negative symptom group (i.e.,a lower score than the median) and the highly negative symptom group (i.e., a higher score than the median) according to the negative symptom scores. A nonparametric rank sum test,Wilcoxon two-sample rank sum test,was used to compare the difference between the two groups in the total alpha power and the alpha powers of eight brain regions. Multivariate linear regression was then used to analyze the relationship between the alpha power of the right temporal region and negative symptoms. Analysis of covariance was used to control for the confounding effects of anxiety and depression and years of education on the negative symptoms. Kendall′s tau-b analysis was used to explore the correlation between the negative symptoms and the alpha powers of eight brain regions.Result:There was a significant difference ( Z=-2.143, P=0.032) in the alpha powers of the right temporal lobe between the two groups. The negative symptom scale score can be contributed by the changes of alpha power in the right temporal lobe, years of education,anxiety and depression factor scores and positive symptom scale score (corrected r2=0.894). The alpha power of the right temporal lobe had a significant effect on negative symptoms ( t=3.965, P=0.004). Conclusion:The negative symptoms of schizophrenic patients may be related to the abnormal alpha power in the right temporal lobe.