SPEM impairment in drug-naive schizophrenic patients: evidence for a trait marker.
Smooth-pursuit eye movements (SPEM) were assessed in healthy subjects and in drug-naive, chronic, and residual schizophrenic patients. SPEM gain was found to be decreased in all the schizophrenic patients who also exhibited a significant increase in the rate of saccades. The frequency of square-wave jerks was the same in schizophrenic patients and normal controls, suggesting that the primary abnormality in schizophrenic patients was a low gain rather than a defect of the saccadic system. Patients were retested 1 month later, and stability of gain was high even in formerly drug-naive subjects who had been treated for 1 month with neuroleptic drugs. Altogether these results confirm the conclusions of most previous studies, extend them to drug-naive schizophrenic patients, and favor the hypothesis that SPEM impairment is a trait marker in schizophrenia.
Centre Hospitalier Spécialisé du Rouvray, Rouen, France.
D
D
Campion
F
F
Thibaut
P
P
Denise
P
P
Courtin
M
M
Pottier
D
D
Levillain
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012438:Saccades / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D005819:Genetic Markers