The effect of family status and schizotypy on electrophysiologic measures of attention and semantic processing.
BACKGROUND
Disturbances in both attention and language are central to the phenomenology of the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative contributions of two factors, family status and schizotypy, on electrophysiologic measures of attention and semantic processing in family members of individuals with schizophrenia.


METHODS
Fifteen first-degree relatives of individuals with schizophrenia and 15 comparison subject controls participated in diagnostic evaluations, an assessment of schizotypy, and two event-related potential (ERP) paradigms. The first paradigm was an auditory P300 "oddball" task designed to assess attentional functioning. The second was an N400 sentence paradigm particularly sensitive to language processing.


RESULTS
Both relatives and individuals higher in schizotypy, but not their respective comparison groups, showed reductions in P300 amplitude. In the N400 paradigm, individuals higher in schizotypy, but not relatives, showed a reduced N400 effect. There were no differences in latency for either group on either component.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that both family status and schizotypal presentation independently contribute to disturbances in electrophysiologic measures sensitive to attention and language. Whereas higher levels of schizotypy appear to be associated with disturbances in both attention and language processing, family membership appears to place individuals at risk for attentional deficits alone.
Kimble
M
M
Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Lyons
M
M
O'Donnell
B
B
Nestor
P
P
Niznikiewicz
M
M
Toomey
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000235:genetics*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000235:genetics; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009679:Nuclear Family / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012659:Semantic Differential