PhD Scientific Days 2026

Poster Session 2.K - Mental Health Sciences

EEG Spectral Power across Rest, Body Scan, and Task Conditions in Autism and Schizophrenia

Name of the presenter

Vass, Ágota

Institute/workplace of the presenter

Semmelweis University; Óbuda University

Authors

Ágota Vass^1,2, Zsófia Pálffy³, Dániel Sörnyei^1,4, Orsolya Lányi¹, Máté Pongrácz⁵, Gyöngyi Szabó¹, Ilona Császár¹, Gábor Csukly¹, Kinga Farkas¹
1: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University
2: University Research and Innovation Center, Physiological Controls Research Center; and John von Neumann Faculty of Informatics, Obuda University
3: Computational Sciences Department, HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics
4: Department of Clinical Psychology, Semmelweis University
5: Department of Psychiatry, South Buda Central Hospital

Text of the abstract

Introduction
State-dependent neural dynamics are central to models of large-scale brain regulation in neurodevelopmental and psychotic disorders, yet it remains unclear whether autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCH) are characterized by altered oscillatory activity across internally and externally oriented cognitive states.
Aims
This study aimed to investigate how EEG spectral power is modulated across resting, interoceptive, and cognitively demanding conditions in ASD and SCH within a transdiagnostic framework.
Method
Adults with ASD, SCH, and matched neurotypical controls completed three EEG conditions: resting state, body-scan interoceptive attention, and a cognitive task. Absolute and relative power were calculated for canonical frequency bands to separate overall power differences from spectral redistribution. Group and condition effects were analysed while controlling for relevant covariates.
Results
Absolute delta power decreased during the body-scan condition relative to rest and task, indicating a distinct interoceptive neural state, while relative delta displayed a divergent pattern, suggesting condition-dependent spectral reweighting. The most robust group effect was a condition-invariant elevation of absolute and relative theta power in SCH, suggesting a baseline shift with preserved state-dependent modulation. Alpha, beta, and gamma activity were mainly condition-driven with limited group differences. The ASD group showed few reliable spectral deviations and largely preserved modulation across conditions.
Conclusion
Oscillatory alterations in ASD and SCH were characterized by frequency-specific baseline shifts alongside largely preserved state-dependent modulation. Joint analysis of absolute and relative power revealed dissociable global spectral reorganization and band-specific effects, supporting a transdiagnostic model of neural state regulation across rest, interoceptive and externally oriented cognition.
Funding
This research was supported by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office Grant OTKA PD 146424 (to K.F.), by the Semmelweis Predoctoral Scholarship by Semmelweis University (to Á.V.) and by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Hungary from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund TKP2021-EGA-25 (to K.F. and Á.V.).