Working memory consolidation is abnormally slow in schizophrenia.
This study reports evidence that patients with schizophrenia demonstrate a slowing of working memory (WM) consolidation, which is the process of transforming transient perceptual representations into durable WM representations. Sixteen schizophrenia patients and 16 healthy control participants performed a task measuring the visual WM consolidation rate in a change-detection paradigm. A target display containing 3 colored squares was followed by a variable delay of 17-483 ms, a pattern mask, and then a test stimulus. This pattern mask does not interfere with perception but disrupts WM consolidation. Control participants reached no-mask performance by 250 ms, indicating completed WM consolidation, whereas patients failed to reach no-mask performance by 483 ms. Slowed consolidation may play an important and largely unrecognized role in schizophrenia.
Fuller
Rebecca L
RL
Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA. bfuller@mprc.umaryland.edu
Luck
Steven J
SJ
McMahon
Robert P
RP
Gold
James M
JM
D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology