title: Abnormal neurological signs, visual contrast sensitivity, and the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate the relationship between abnormal neurological signs, visual contrast sensitivity, and the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia. Visual contrast sensitivity for counterphase-modulated low spatial frequency gratings was measured in 32 non-deficit and 12 deficit schizophrenia patients and 20 healthy controls subjects. Abnormal neurological signs were evaluated with the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES). Compared with the controls, patients with schizophrenia displayed impaired visual contrast sensitivity, which was associated with sensory integration deficits, as measured with the NES. The deficit syndrome was predicted by negative symptoms and sensory integration deficits. These results suggest that early-stage perceptual dysfunctions, which may reflect the abnormality of precortical magnocellular visual pathways, are related to a specific group of abnormal neurological signs.
authors.affiliation: University of Szeged, Department of Psychiatry, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Csongor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cimmer
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Szendi
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Csifcsák
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szekeres
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ambrus Kovács
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Somogyi
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benedek
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Janka
authors.forename: Szabolcs
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kéri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology