Resting Frontal EEG Asymmetry and Shyness and Sociability in Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study of Community-Based Outpatients

We conducted a pilot study to examine the relations among the patterns of resting regional electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha activity, trait shyness and sociability, and positive and negative symptoms scores in 20 adults with schizophrenia, attending a community-based treatment and rehabilitation center. As predicted, patients' positive symptoms were related to greater relative resting left frontal EEG activity, replicating earlier work. When only adults with low to no positive symptoms were considered, trait shyness was related to greater relative resting right frontal EEG activity, whereas trait sociability was related to greater relative resting left frontal EEG activity. This finding is similar to what is consistently noted in healthy adults. These pilot data suggest that positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia may obscure the relations between personality and frontal EEG asymmetry measures observed in healthy adults.