title: Context-processing deficits in schizotypal personality disorder.
abstract: Research suggests that schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is a part of the spectrum of schizophrenia-related illnesses. This article hypothesizes that a deficit in the representation and maintenance of context is a core cognitive disturbance in schizophrenia and that SPD individuals should demonstrate context-processing deficits. To test this hypothesis, the authors administered 3 versions of their AX-CPT task, designed to assess context processing, to 35 healthy controls and 26 individuals with DSM-IV SPD. They also administered working memory and selective attention tasks. SPD individuals displayed context representation deficits similar to those found in schizophrenia but did not show the same additional deficits in context maintenance. Context processing was strongly associated with working memory and selective attention performance in the SPD individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Washington University, Campus Box 1125, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA. dbarch@artsci.wust1.edu
authors.forename: Deanna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Barch
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mitropoulou
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Antonia S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: New
authors.forename: Jeremy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: Larry J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Siever
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014888:Wechsler Scales