# Biomarkers of auditory processing in schizophrenia: do they reflect symptom severity? An investigation in schizotypy

> **NIH NIH R15** · UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RENO · 2020 · $389,011

## Abstract

Biomarkers of auditory processing are abnormal in schizophrenia, suggesting their potential for
identifying individuals who are experiencing schizophrenia-like symptoms before the onset of psychosis.
However, for these biomarkers to be effective, they would need to reflect symptom severity. There are some
individuals in the general population who exhibit schizophrenia-like traits but do not experience psychosis,
commonly known as schizotypy. The majority of the general population is believed to fall along a spectrum of
schizotypic behaviors, with some being more symptomatic and who are referred to as having `high schizotypy'.
The aim of this project is to test whether auditory biomarkers associated with schizophrenia are also present in
individuals with high schizotypy, and how the different biomarkers relate to one another. If the auditory
biomarkers are impacted in high schizotypy, then this would support their use for identifying those who are at-
risk of developing schizophrenia. If not, then this suggests that individuals with schizophrenia are categorically
different in their auditory processing to the general population, and indicates substantial brain-wide changes at
the onset of psychosis. In the current study, we focus on biomarkers of early sensory memory (mismatch
negativity; MMN) and later auditory working memory (WM) using electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral
psychophysics. We will also explore how sensory memory and WM impact one other, as a potential mechanism
of auditory processing in schizotypy. This project is designed to introduce undergraduate researchers to clinical
research. They will learn how to collect electrophysiological data, analysis techniques, and will be involved in
disseminating the results.
 The project will be divided into three Aims. Aim 1 will measure MMN in the EEG to investigate early
sensory memory to auditory deviants – single tones that differ in pitch. Aim 2 will investigate WM performance
in a 3-back task using behavioral and EEG measures (such as N1 during stimulus encoding). We will investigate
MMN and WM independently so that the results from Aim 1 do not impact Aim 2. For Aims 1 and 2, we
hypothesize that both MMN and WM performance will be impaired in those with high compared to low schizotypy.
Aim 3 will then examine the relationship between the two measures of auditory processing. We hypothesize that
impaired MMN will predict poorer WM performance (examined using regression analyses), and this relationship
will be stronger in high compared to low schizotypy. This will indicate a potential mechanism to target for
treatment: improve early auditory memory to impact later auditory-related cognition. If there is no significant
relationship between sensory memory and WM, then this will indicate a third variable that impacts auditory
processing. Either result will contribute to a model of auditory processing in schizotypy.
 Undergraduate researchers will develop an understanding of the utility o...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9965608
- **Project number:** 1R15MH122935-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RENO
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah M Haigh
- **Activity code:** R15 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $389,011
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9965608

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9965608, Biomarkers of auditory processing in schizophrenia: do they reflect symptom severity? An investigation in schizotypy (1R15MH122935-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9965608. Licensed CC0.

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