An event-related potential study using a cued task-switching paradigm reveals neural correlates of cognitive flexibility impairments in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia (SCZ) patients exhibit impairments in cognitive flexibility, yet the underlying neuroelectrophysiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Through the application of event-related potential (ERP) technology within a cued task-switching paradigm (CTSP), this study explored the neuroelectrophysiological mechanisms of cognitive flexibility impairments with schizophrenia. METHODS: The final sample comprised 39 schizophrenia and 46 healthy controls (HCs). During the CTSP, ERPs were recorded from all participants. Behavioral performance was assessed using error rates (ERs), reaction times (RTs), and their respective switching costs, while the ERP data were analyzed in the time domain. RESULTS: Compared with HCs, schizophrenia patients demonstrated an increase in ERs and a lengthening of RTs. The ERP dataset we have collected further provided evidence that their neural activity during the CTSP was characterized by enlarged P3 amplitudes, prolonged P3 latencies, and reduced difference wave amplitudes. CONCLUSION: The impairments in cognitive flexibility observed in SCZ were associated with aberrant neural activity, as indexed by the ERP P3 component. These findings hold significant implications for delineating the neural mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction and point to potential targets for clinical intervention in this disorder. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.