title: [Impairments in attention and facial emotion recognition in treatment of refractory and non refractory schizophrenics evaluated through an odd-ball paradigm].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some of the processes impaired in schizophrenia are attention and emotional recognition. The aim of this study was to test: 1) if refractory schizophrenics (RS) present higher attentional deficits than non refractory (NR) evaluated through performance and the P300 amplitude in an odd ball paradigm using letters as stimuli; 2) if emotional recognition deficits in schizophrenics can be reflected by means of a similar paradigm than that used for letters, especially in RS, and; 3) if there exist a correlation between P300 amplitude and the level of psychopathology in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Performance and P300 amplitude were measured during a letter (LE) task and a similar one of facial emotion recognition (ER) applicating an odd ball paradigm, on 10 normal controls (CO), 10 NR and 10 RS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reaction time was longer in both tasks and in LE, P300 amplitude was lower in NR and RS than in CO. In ER the RS showed a lower number of correct responses and higher of omissions than NR and CO, correlated with neuroleptics doses. A negative correlation between P300 amplitude and the scores of BPRS and PANSS positive symptoms scale was only found for the NR in ER.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Present results point out that RS show similar deficits in relation to attention as NR do, but they show major deficits in emotional recognition related with neuroleptics doses. Furthermore, a lower P300 amplitude for NR was related to a higher level of psychopathology only in EF.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Guadalajara. Instituto de Neurociencias., Guadalajara, Jalisco, 44520, México. jramos@udgserv.cencar.udg.mx
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Cerdán
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Guevara
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Amezcua
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
vernacular_title: Alteraciones en la atención y en el reconocimiento de emociones faciales en esquizofrénicos refractarios y no refractarios al tratamiento, evaluadas a través de un paradigma odd ball.