The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (16): 2541-2548.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.16.015

• Clinical Research • Previous Articles    

Distinct sleep spindle activity patterns in cognitive subtypes of first-episode schizophrenia

Caiai SONG1,2(),Hailin JIA1,Xin LIU1,Lili ZHANG1,Yunshu ZHANG1,Keqing. LI1()   

  1. *.Hebei Mental Health Center (Hebei Sixth People's Hospital),Baoding 071000,Hebei,China
    The Sixth Clinical Medical College of Hebei University,Baoding 071000,Hebei,China
  • Received:2025-04-14 Online:2025-08-25 Published:2025-08-28
  • Contact: Caiai SONG,Keqing. LI E-mail:like2125@sina.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the number and categories of cognitive subtypes in individuals with First-Episode Schizophrenia (FES) and to explore the potential neurobiological sleep characteristics associated with these distinct cognitive subtypes. Methods The cognitive functions of 45 patients withFES and 40 healthy controls (HCs) were assessed using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Latent profile analysis was employed to identify and classify the cognitive subtypes of FES patients. Furthermore, a full-night polysomnographic recording was conducted to quantify the characteristics of sleep spindle waves. Subsequently, differences in sleep spindle wave features among the identified cognitive subtypes of FES were analyzed and compared. Results Latent Profile Analysis identified two cognitive subtypes among FES patients: a subtype characterized by severe cognitive impairment (SIS, n = 32) and another with relatively preserved cognitive function (CRP, n = 13). Compared to healthy controls (HCs, n = 40), FES patients exhibited increased spindle wave amplitude during both N2 and N3 sleep stages. Further analysis revealed that the spindle wave duration during the N2 stage was significantly longer in the SIS subtype compared to both CRP and HCs. Similarly, in the N3 stage, the spindle wave duration was longer in SIS than in CRP. Additionally, spindle wave frequency during the N3 stage was higher in both SIS and HCs compared to CRP. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that variations in the frequency and duration of spindle waves among different cognitive subtypes may serve as potential neurobiological markers for distinguishing FES cognitive subtypes.

Key words: schizophrenia, cognitive subtypes, sleep spindles

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