title: Remitted schizophrenia-spectrum patients with spared working memory show information processing abnormalities.
abstract: Working memory and information processing abnormalities are often reported in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to examine visual backward masking (BM) functions in remitted schizophrenia-spectrum patients with spared working memory functions. Seventy-two patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia-spectrum disorders were screened using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the digit span forward/backward tasks. Patients with spared WCST and digit span performances were selected and administered a spatial working memory test and two BM procedures (target identification and location). The schizophrenia-spectrum group with spared WCST and digit span performances included individuals with schizophreniform disorder (N=11), schizophrenia (N=2), and schizoaffective disorder (N=2). These patients were clinically remitted and demonstrated spared IQ, normal spatial working memory, and relatively high psychosocial functioning. However, there was a significant impairment in the BM procedure, most prominently in the target location task and at short interstimulus intervals. These results suggest that the BM dysfunction is a trait marker of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and may be present in the absence of working memory abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: University of Szeged, Department of Psychiatry, Hungary. SZKERI@Phys.SZOTE.U-Szeged.HU
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kéri
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Szendi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kelemen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benedek
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Janka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011939:Mental Recall; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology