The Photic Stimulation Has an Impact on the Reproduction of 10 s Intervals Only in Healthy Controls but Not in Patients with Schizophrenia: The EEG Study

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by both abnormal time perception and atypical relationships with external factors. Here we compare the influence of external photic stimulation on time production between healthy subjects (n = 24) and patients with schizophrenia (n = 22). To delve into neuropsychological mechanisms of such a relationship, the EEG was recorded during variable conditions: during production of 10 s intervals; during photic stimulation of 4, 9, 16, and 25 Hz; and during combinations of these conditions. We found that the higher frequency of photic stimulation influenced the production of time intervals in healthy volunteers, which became significantly longer and were accompanied by corresponding EEG changes. The impact of photic stimulation was absent in patients with schizophrenia. In addition, the time production was characterized by less accuracy and the absence of EEG dynamics typical for healthy controls that included an increase in alpha2 power and envelope frequency. Our findings indicated that the time perception was not adjusted by external factors in patients with schizophrenia and might have involved cognitive and mental processes different from those of healthy volunteers.