title: [Psychophysiology of schizophrenic disorders of attention--concepts, findings and working hypotheses].
abstract: Starting from early clinical descriptions according to which there exists a polarity of attentional behavior in schizophrenia, we compare a number of pertinent theoretical concepts put forward up to now. Special attention is given to the question of functional hemispherical asymmetries, and here especially to a working hypothesis according to which the neuropsychological deficits in schizophrenics result from a coordination deficit of two differently lateralized attention systems. Taking into consideration certain neurophysiological (especially electro-encephalographical) findings, we discuss a model which places in opposition sensory intake behaviors and sensory rejection behaviors. Then we give a condensed presentation of relevant findings of our own. In particular, it could be shown that clinical improvement goes along with a certain change of the topographical distribution of absolute alpha-power, and that the intensity of some psychopathological symptoms correlates with the lateralization of posterior absolute alpha-power. Relationships also occurred between psychopathology on the one hand and the performance level in a visuo-motor tracking task or the eye movement behavior recorded during a picture viewing task, on the other. A concluding synopsis, comprising both empirically proven and theoretically postulated relationships, serves to formulate working hypotheses for clinical-psychophysiological correlation studies to be done in the future. In contrast to the current practice of assigning patients to the usual diagnostic subgroups, we advocate from a research-oriented point of view the grouping of those patients who show certain combinations of clinical and psychophysiological signs at a certain moment. Such a procedure holds out a prospect of solving a central problem of schizophrenia research consisting of the considerable intra- and individual variability of findings. Instead of changeable sick persons, defined systems states would be classified. Knowledge of the dynamics of such systems states could contribute to a rational therapy in the individual patient.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatrische Klinik und Poliklinik der Freien Universität Berlin.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gaebel
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011603:Psychophysiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
vernacular_title: Zur Psychophysiologie schizophrener Aufmerksamkeitsstörung--Konzepte, Befunde und Arbeitshypothesen.