Relationship between N100 amplitude and T1w/T2w-ratio in the auditory cortex in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Nora Berz Slapø; Kjetil Nordbø Jørgensen; Stener Nerland; Lynn Mørch-Johnsen; Johanne Hagen Pettersen; Daniel Roelfs; Nadine Parker; Mathias Valstad; Atle Pentz; Clara M F Timpe; Geneviève Richard; Dani Beck; Maren C Frogner Werner; Trine Vik Lagerberg; Ingrid Melle; Ingrid Agartz; Lars T Westlye; Nils Eiel Steen; Linn B Norbom; Ole A Andreassen; Torgeir Moberget; Torbjørn Elvsåshagen; Erik G Jönsson

doi:10.1038/s41537-025-00715-w

Relationship between N100 amplitude and T1w/T2w-ratio in the auditory cortex in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Schizophrenia (Heidelb). 2026 Jan 17. doi: 10.1038/s41537-025-00715-w. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Nora Berz Slapø¹, Kjetil Nordbø Jørgensen^{2

3}, Stener Nerland^{2

4}, Lynn Mørch-Johnsen^{2

5}, Johanne Hagen Pettersen⁶, Daniel Roelfs², Nadine Parker², Mathias Valstad^{2

6}, Atle Pentz², Clara M F Timpe^{2

7}, Geneviève Richard^{2

8}, Dani Beck^{2

4

7}, Maren C Frogner Werner², Trine Vik Lagerberg⁸, Ingrid Melle^{2

8}, Ingrid Agartz^{2

4

9}, Lars T Westlye^{2

7}, Nils Eiel Steen², Linn B Norbom⁷, Ole A Andreassen^{2

8}, Torgeir Moberget^{2

10}, Torbjørn Elvsåshagen^{2

11}, Erik G Jönsson^{2

9}

Affiliations

¹ NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. n.b.slapo@medisin.uio.no.
² NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Telemark Hospital, Skien, Norway.
⁴ Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry & Department of Clinical Research, Østfold Hospital, Grålum, Norway.
⁶ Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
⁷ Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁸ NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁹ Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Sciences, Stockholm Region, Sweden.
¹⁰ Department of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, OsloMet, Oslo, Norway.
¹¹ Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 41547897
DOI: 10.1038/s41537-025-00715-w

Abstract

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SCZ_spect) are associated with altered function in the auditory cortex (AC), indicated by lower N100 amplitude of the auditory evoked potential (AEP). Although the neural substrate behind lower N100 amplitude remains elusive, myelination in the AC may play a role. This study compared N100 amplitude and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1 weighted and T2 weighted ratio (T1w/T2w-ratio), as a proxy of myelination, in the primary AC (AC1) and secondary AC (AC2) between SCZ_spect (n = 33, 48% women) and healthy controls (HC, n = 144, 49% women). We also examined the associations between N100 amplitude and T1w/T2w-ratios across groups. We finally explored N100 amplitude and T1w/T2w-ratios and the N100-T1w/T2w-ratio associations between male and female SCZ_spect and HC. N100 amplitude was significantly lower in male SCZ_spect compared to male HC (p = 0.01) and nominally lower in SCZ_spect compared to HC (p = 0.03). However, T1w/T2w-ratios in AC1/AC2 did not differ between groups, and no association was found between N100 amplitude and T1w/T2w-ratio in either group. These findings suggest that sex-specific effects should be considered in SCZ_spect neurophysiology research. Our results do not support the hypothesis of an association between lower N100 amplitude and lower T1w/T2w-ratio in the AC1/AC2 in SCZ_spect. More precise assessments of intracortical myelin are needed to understand the relationship between N100 amplitude and cortical myelination in the AC in SCZ_spect and in healthy controls.