Interaction of negative olfactory stimulation and working memory in schizophrenia patients: development and evaluation of a behavioral neuroimaging task.
Negative affect plays a crucial role in the psychopathology of schizophrenia. Although it is known that negative emotion has a strong effect on cognitive performance, this interaction has mainly been studied in healthy volunteers. Hence, working memory was assessed in 24 schizophrenia patients and 24 matched comparison subjects with a 0-back/2-back continuous performance test. Simultaneously, negative emotion was induced by olfactory stimulation. Although subjective ratings confirmed that stimulation with a negative odor was associated with a significant increase in negative affect in patients and healthy volunteers, working memory performance was affected differentially in healthy volunteers and schizophrenia patients. Whilst a similar trend of a reduced behavioral performance during negative odor stimulation was observed in patients, only controls demonstrated a significantly higher response time and a reduced number of correct reactions during higher working memory demands (2-back). Patients, on the other hand, revealed an increase in false alarms during both conditions. The present data indicate a differential effect of negative mood induction on working memory performance in schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects.
Schneider
Frank
F
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany. fschneider@ukaachen.de
Koch
Kathrin
K
Reske
Martina
M
Kellermann
Thilo
T
Seiferth
N
N
Stöcker
Tony
T
Amunts
Katrin
K
Shah
N Jon
NJ
Habel
Ute
U
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009812:Odorants; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*