LONDON, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- British research could lead to the first early diagnostic tool for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, a new report says.
Studies at the University of New South Wales "could eventually lead to a simple, cost-effective and safe way to distinguish" between the two ailments, says Phllip Ward, one of the study's authors, enabling faster treatment.
"Sixty percent of patients with schizophrenia have auditory hallucinations," said co-author Nathan Clunas. "So we decided to look at a particular brain wave-form which measures attention and attention deficits that can be found in these patients."
The researchers recorded the brain waves associated with pairs of sounds in 17 patients with schizophrenia. Subjects heard the sounds through a set of headphones, while performing a visual distraction task.
The patients' results were compared with those of a sex and age-matched healthy volunteer group.
