P300 endogen evoked potentials in somatization disorder: a controlled study

Abstract

Introduction. Somatization disorder (SD) is considered the most valid, reliable and consistent disorder over time from the entire group of somatoform disorders and the most disabling and expensive for the health system. The aim of this paper is to assess the discriminative, attentional and cognitive process in SD patients by auditory-stimulus P300 evoked potential.

Methods. Design: case-control study. Sample: cases group is made up of 25 patients, selected from the Miguel Servet University Hospital Somatoform Disorder Unit, that fulfill DSM-IV-TR criteria of SD using EPEP psychiatric interview. Twenty-five healthy and volunteer individuals without psychiatric or neurological disorders or history of disease were selected as control group. Both groups were matched by gender and age.

Results. Mean P300 latency was significantly (p<0.01) higher in SD patients than in healthy people. The rest of variables studied (N100 latency, P200 latency, P300 amplitude in Pz) did not show any significant differences.

Conclusions. SD patients show electrophysiological disturbances in the cognitive process of information.