Systematic review and meta-analysis of the visual mismatch negativity in
Schizophrenia
Abstract
Mismatch Negativity (MMN) is an event-related potential component
automatically elicited by events that violate predictions based on prior
events. To elicit this component, researchers use stimulus repetition to
induce predictions, and the MMN is obtained by subtracting the brain
response to rare or unpredicted stimuli from that of frequent stimuli.
Under the predictive processing framework, one increasingly popular
interpretation of the mismatch response postulates that MMN represents a
prediction error. In this context, the reduced MMN amplitude to auditory
stimuli has been considered a potential biomarker of Schizophrenia,
representing a reduced prediction error and the inability to update the
mental model of the world based on the sensory signals. It is unclear,
however, whether this amplitude reduction is specific for auditory
events or if the visual MMN reveals a similar pattern in Schizophrenia
Spectrum Disorder. This review and meta-analysis aimed to summarise the
available literature on the vMMN in Schizophrenia. A systematic
literature search resulted in 11 eligible studies that resulted in a
combined effect size of g = - 0.63, CI [-0.86, -0.41], reflecting
lower vMMN amplitudes in patients. These results are in line with the
findings in the auditory domain. This component offers certain
advantages, such as less susceptibility to attentional influences.
Future studies should use vMMN to explore abnormalities in the PPF in
different stages and groups of the SSD and increase the knowledge in the
search for biomarkers in Schizophrenia.