title: Visual object processing in schizophrenia: evidence for an associative agnosic deficit.
abstract: Early studies suggested visual form perception impairment in schizophrenia. To re-examine this claim and characterise the deficit neuropsychologically, 41 schizophrenic patients were administered tests sensitive to different levels of visual object perception and recognition. Intellectually well-preserved patients were examined separately on these and additional tests. Single case analysis was also applied to four patients showing varying degrees of general intellectual impairment. As a group, the patients showed little impairment on tests of early visual object perception, but greater impairment on higher-level visual processing tests, in particular object recognition and naming. This held true for patients with preserved general intellectual function. Single case analysis suggested that patients with schizophrenia have a selective deficit affecting object recognition and identification, with a pattern similar to visual associative agnosia in neurological patients.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
authors.forename: Vania S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Gabrovska
authors.forename: Keith R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Laws
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McKenna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000377:Agnosia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D001244:Association; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology