ReviewPaying attention to MMN in schizophrenia

- The functional relevance of reduced MMN in schizophrenia is not known.
- Relevance filtering systems underlying MMN protect attentional resources.
- Attention is maintained if sounds are predicted but disrupted if they are unpredicted.
- The extent of attentional disruption is a function of MMN size.
- MMN, attention, and studies of both MMN and attention in schizophrenia is reviewed.

The aim of this review is to explore the phenomenon of reduced mismatch negativity (MMN) in persons with schizophrenia and the possible relationship it has with attention impairments. In doing so we discuss (i) the prediction error account of MMN, (ii) reduced MMN as a faulty predictive processing system in persons with schizophrenia, (iii) the role of these systems in relevance filtering and attentional resource protection, (iv) attentional impairments in persons with schizophrenia, and (v) research that has explored MMN and attention in schizophrenia groups. Our review of the literature suggests that no study has appropriately examined the functional impact of smaller MMN in schizophrenia on the performance of a concurrent attention task. We conclude that future research should explore this notion further in the hope that it might embed MMN findings within outcomes of functional significance to individuals with the illness and those providing treatment.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Prediction and Attention.