Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39059465›Full record

ArticleBiological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging2025

Prefrontal Oscillatory Slowing in Early-Course Schizophrenia Is Associated With Worse Cognitive Performance and Negative Symptoms: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Electroencephalography Study.

Francesco L Donati, Ahmad Mayeli, Bruno Andry Nascimento Couto, Kamakashi Sharma, Sabine Janssen, Robert J Krafty, Adenauer G Casali, Fabio Ferrarelli

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Clinical utility and prospective of TMS-EEG: Updated review from an international expert group.Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Francesco L DonatiDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Health Science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Ahmad MayeliDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Bruno Andry Nascimento CoutoInstitute of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo, São José dos Campos, Brazil.
Kamakashi SharmaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Sabine JanssenDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Robert J KraftyDepartment of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Adenauer G CasaliInstitute of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo, São José dos Campos, Brazil.
Fabio FerrarelliDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: ferrarellif@upmc.edu.

Funding

Enhancing prefrontal oscillatory activity and working memory performance with noninvasive brain stimulation in early-course schizophreniaR01MH125816 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI FERRARELLI, FABIO · 2021 to 2025
$3.5M
Reduced natural oscillatory frequency of DLPFC in early course SCZ: a TMS/EEG studyR21MH119543 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI FERRARELLI, FABIO · 2019 to 2020
$419k
NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH125816NIMH NIH HHS R21 MH119543
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAbnormalities in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) oscillations are neurophysiological signatures of schizophrenia thought to underlie its cognitive deficits. Transcranial magnetic stimulation with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) provides a measure of cortical oscillations unaffected by sensory relay functionality and/or patients' level of engagement, which are important confounding factors in schizophrenia. Previous TMS-EEG work showed reduced fast, gamma-range oscillations and a slowing of the main DLPFC oscillatory frequency, or natural frequency, in chronic schizophrenia. However, it is unclear whether this DLPFC natural frequency slowing is present in early-course schizophrenia (EC-SCZ) and is associated with symptom severity and cognitive dysfunction.

methodsWe applied TMS-EEG to the left DLPFC in 30 individuals with EC-SCZ and 28 healthy control participants. Goal-directed working memory performance was assessed using the AX-Continuous Performance Task. The EEG frequency with the highest cumulative power at the stimulation site, or natural frequency, was extracted. We also calculated the local relative spectral power as the average power in each frequency band divided by the broadband power.

resultsCompared with the healthy control group, the EC-SCZ group had reduced DLPFC natural frequency (p = .0000002, Cohen's d = -2.32) and higher DLPFC beta-range relative spectral power (p = .0003, Cohen's d = 0.77). In the EC-SCZ group, the DLPFC natural frequency was inversely associated with negative symptoms. Across all participants, the beta band relative spectral power negatively correlated with AX-Continuous Performance Task performance.

conclusionsDLPFC oscillatory slowing is an early pathophysiological biomarker of schizophrenia that is associated with its symptom severity and cognitive impairments. Future work should assess whether noninvasive neurostimulation, including repetitive TMS, can ameliorate prefrontal oscillatory deficits and related clinical functions in patients with EC-SCZ.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionDorsolateral Prefrontal CortexPrefrontal CortexSchizophreniaSchizophrenic PsychologyAdultCognitionElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleMemory, Short-TermTranscranial Magnetic StimulationYoung AdultAX–Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT)Cognitive controlDorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)Early-course schizophreniaNatural frequencyTMS-EEG

Identifiers

PMID39059465
PMCPMC11759720

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.