Time-frequency analysis of cortical oscillations evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation in preclinical stages of schizophrenia

Abstract

The undergraduate student will be introduced to the MATLAB environment and to major methods of time-frequency analysis of biological signals. High-density electroencephalographic recordings during Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of four cortical areas (Brodmann areas 9 and 7, left and right hemispheres) are being performed longitudinally at the University of Pittsburgh in healthy individuals and early stages schizophrenia patients (first-episode psychosis and clinical high risk). These recordings will be decomposed in the time-frequency domain to test whether abnormalities in the frequency of cortical evoked oscillations, particularly in the frontal/prefrontal regions, can be used as biomarkers of early stages of the disease. (AU)