Event-related potentials and thought disorder in schizophrenia

We examined the relationship between event-related potentials and thought disorder in schizophrenia. The subjects were 29 chronic schizophrenic patients. Thought disorder was assessed using the Comprehensive Index of Positive Thought Disorder developed by Harrow and colleagues (Harrow and Quinlan, 1985; Marengo et al., 1986). Auditory event-related potentials were recorded during a standard oddball task. The P300 amplitude correlated negatively with the severity of the thought disorder. The P300 amplitude in the patients with thought disorder was significantly smaller than in the patients without thought disorder. These results suggest that a reduction in P300 amplitude is associated with a fundamental impairment of information processing in schizophrenic patients.

Relapse of panic disorder induced by a single intravenous methamphetamine injection

The authors reports a case of a 33-year-old woman who had a relapse and worsening of panic disorder following a single injection of methamphetamine after a long period of remission. Her first panic attack had occurred when she was a 14-year-old high school student, but the course had persisted only for 1 month. Soon after an intravenous injection of methamphetamine, she had a relapse of panic disorder, and depression and agoraphobia developed. Psychotropic medication was not fully effective.