title: Smooth-pursuit eye movement and directional motion-contrast sensitivity in schizophrenia.
abstract: Although the occurrence of visual processing and eye-movement disorders in schizophrenia have been widely recognized, their relationship with the symptoms of schizophrenia is less well understood. In two experiments the relationship between directional-motion processing and smooth-pursuit eye movement was investigated in normal observers and in groups with positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. The first experiment measured linear smooth-pursuit eye movement at six target velocities from 5.0 to 30.0 degrees s(-1) and the second experiment measured directional motion-contrast sensitivity at three spatial (1.0, 4.0 and 8.0 c/deg) and five temporal (0.75, 3.0, 6.0, 12.0 and 18.0 Hz) frequencies in the same groups of observers. No significant differences were found between the control and positive-symptom group in directional motion-contrast sensitivity and smooth-pursuit eye movements. In comparison, a relationship was found between a significant reduction in directional motion-contrast sensitivity and significantly reduced smooth-pursuit eye movement in the negative-symptom group and serves to further cleave the distinction between positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. The relationship between visual motion processing and pursuit eye movement in the negative-symptom group was explained by a disorder in directional motion processing that fails to fully engage the pursuit eye movement system and reduces smooth pursuit eye-velocity gain.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, G.P.O. Box 252-30, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia. walter.slaghuis@utas.edu.au
authors.forename: Walter L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Slaghuis
authors.forename: Alison C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bowling
authors.forename: Rebecca V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: French
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D015835:Ocular Motility Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology