Pretreatment EEG predicts short-term response to haloperidol treatment

This study analyzed the relationship between pretreatment electroencephalogram (EEG) and response to haloperidol medication in a group of acutely exacerbated schizophrenic patients (n = 34). Improvement was assessed after 3 and 6 weeks of treatment; it was measured globally, as decrease in the total score on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), as well as multidimensionally through the individual BPRS factors. Relative powers from four clinical EEG frequency bands were employed as predictor variables. Baseline alpha activity was significantly related to clinical response. Higher alpha values were associated with poorer response to treatment. Specifically, improvements on the "thought disturbance" and "hostility-suspiciousness" factors underlied the relationship between the pretreatment EEG and outcome.