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Schizophrenia Subgroups Differing in Dichotic Listening Laterality Also Differ in Neurometabolism and Symptomatology

Received July 22, 1999; revised November 22, 1999; accepted December 2, 1999. From the Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Columbia University, New York, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Address correspondence to Dr. Malaspina, 722 West 168th Street, New York Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032; e-mail: dm9{at}columbia.edu

Schizophrenia patients vary in right ear advantage (REA) on dichotic listening tests for assessing left hemispheric dominance for language processing. The authors examined if patients with low REA differed from other patients in symptoms and in resting brain metabolism. SPECT was conducted during visual fixation for 9 healthy control subjects and 16 schizophrenia patients: 8 with normal and 8 with diminished REA. REA-diminished patients had greater positive symptoms and lower mental status scores (all P<0.05) and had right middle temporal gyrus hypermetabolism. Both schizophrenia groups had decreased right frontal and increased medial temporal lobe metabolism vs. control subjects. REA-diminished patients had right temporal lobe hypermetabolism under a resting condition (eyes open, visual fixation). Results suggest reduced right ear (left hemisphere) advantage for dichotic word perception in schizophrenia is related to a predisposition to overactivate right temporal lobe regions and to positive symptoms. In contrast, the prefrontal–medial temporal imbalance present in both patient groups may typify the schizophrenia syndrome.

Key Words: Schizophrenia • SPECT Studies • Laterality, Listening

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