Sang S, Wang F. Correlation of frontal lobe electroencephalogram asymmetry and cognitive prognosis in schizophrenia. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(2): 111799 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i2.111799]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Fei Wang, Department of Medical Technology, Ningbo Psychiatric Hospital, No. 11 Rixing House, Tongjia Village, Zhuangqiao Street, Jiangbei District, Ningbo 315032, Zhejiang Province, China. 15990586970@163.com
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Psychology
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Retrospective Study
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Feb 19, 2026 (publication date) through Feb 2, 2026
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Publication Name
World Journal of Psychiatry
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2220-3206
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Sang S, Wang F. Correlation of frontal lobe electroencephalogram asymmetry and cognitive prognosis in schizophrenia. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(2): 111799 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i2.111799]
World J Psychiatry. Feb 19, 2026; 16(2): 111799 Published online Feb 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i2.111799
Correlation of frontal lobe electroencephalogram asymmetry and cognitive prognosis in schizophrenia
Shuang Sang, Fei Wang
Shuang Sang, Department of Psychiatry, Ningbo Psychiatric Hospital, Ningbo 315032, Zhejiang Province, China
Fei Wang, Department of Medical Technology, Ningbo Psychiatric Hospital, Ningbo 315032, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Sang S designed the experiments, conducted clinical data collection, performed postoperative follow-up and recorded the data, conducted the collation and statistical analysis; Wang F make critical revisions to important knowledge content; both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ningbo Psychiatric Hospital, No. 2023-12.
Informed consent statement: The ethics committee agreed to waive informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Fei Wang, Department of Medical Technology, Ningbo Psychiatric Hospital, No. 11 Rixing House, Tongjia Village, Zhuangqiao Street, Jiangbei District, Ningbo 315032, Zhejiang Province, China. 15990586970@163.com
Received: July 11, 2025 Revised: August 7, 2025 Accepted: October 17, 2025 Published online: February 19, 2026 Processing time: 203 Days and 21.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder marked by cognitive impairments that affect functional outcomes. However, the neurobiological underpinnings of these deficits, particularly in relation to frontal lobe electroencephalography (EEG) asymmetry, remain insufficiently understood. This study aims to examine the association between frontal lobe EEG asymmetry and cognitive prognosis in individuals with schizophrenia.
AIM
To explore the association between frontal lobe EEG asymmetry and cognitive prognosis in patients with schizophrenia.
METHODS
This retrospective study analyzed data from 104 patients with schizophrenia who received treatment between 2020 and 2023. The patients were divided into good (n = 52) and poor (n = 52) cognitive prognosis groups based on post-treatment scores on the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia Consensus Cognitive Battery. Frontal EEG asymmetry was assessed under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions, and frontoparietal network (FPN) connectivity was evaluated using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Statistical correlations between EEG asymmetry, FPN connectivity, and cognitive outcomes were explored.
RESULTS
Notable differences in EEG asymmetry were observed under eyes-open conditions. Patients in the good cognitive prognosis group demonstrated mean eyes-open frontal alpha asymmetry values of -0.09 at F4-F3 and -0.155 at F6-F5, whereas those in the poor prognosis group showed values of -0.10 and -0.183, respectively. These differences were significantly correlated with cognitive outcomes (P = 0.0482 and P = 0.0111, respectively). Furthermore, left and right FPN connectivity were negatively correlated with poor cognitive prognosis (P = 0.015 and P = 0.008, respectively). However, no significant difference in laterality index was observed.
CONCLUSION
The findings suggest that eyes-open frontal EEG asymmetry and FPN connectivity are associated with cognitive prognosis in individuals with schizophrenia.
Core Tip: This study investigates the correlation between frontal lobe electroencephalogram asymmetry and cognitive prognosis in patients with schizophrenia. By focusing on frontal alpha asymmetry and frontoparietal network connectivity, we explore novel neurophysiological biomarkers for predicting cognitive outcomes. Our findings suggest that frontal alpha asymmetry under eyes-open conditions may serve as a critical indicator of cognitive recovery post-treatment. These insights could enhance personalized treatment plans and improve prognostic evaluations in clinical settings.
