Early-stage face processing dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Deficits in emotional processing are evident in patients with schizophrenia. Since recent studies have indicated dysfunctions in cortical areas involved in face processing, this study investigated the early processing of faces in schizophrenia patients through the use of event-related potentials.


METHODS
Event-related potential responses were obtained from 24 schizophrenia patients and 28 healthy comparison subjects who were presented with pictures of faces and pictures of buildings (control stimuli).


RESULTS
Schizophrenia patients displayed significantly lower differences in the face-specific N170 component between the face and building pictures than did the healthy comparison subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
This finding suggests a dysfunction of early-stage visual processing of faces in patients with schizophrenia.
Herrmann
Martin J
MJ
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Fuechsleinstr. 15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany. martin.herrmann@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
Ellgring
Heiner
H
Fallgatter
Andreas J
AJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*