Do antisaccade deficits in schizophrenia provide evidence of a specific inhibitory function?
BACKGROUND
Despite its inhibitory control requirements, antisaccade deficits have been consistently associated with working memory impairments in schizophrenia. We investigated whether variance in antisaccade performance could be better accounted for in terms of a specific inhibitory function.


METHODS
We assessed 48 clinically stable out-patients with schizophrenia on an antisaccade task, as well as on measures of spatial and verbal working memory, sustained selective attention, and a simple motoric go/no-go measure of response inhibition.


RESULTS
In a stepwise multiple regression analysis, go/no-go task performance accounted for a considerably greater percentage of variance in antisaccade performance (25.3%) than either working memory (8.4%) or sustained selective attention task (9.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that antisaccade deficits in schizophrenia appear to be better understood in terms of a specific deficit of inhibitory control than in terms of more general difficulties with context maintenance or goal neglect.
Donohoe
Gary
G
Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, & Institute of Molecular Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. donoghug@tcd.ie
Reilly
Richard
R
Clarke
Sarah
S
Meredith
Stephen
S
Green
Barry
B
Morris
Derek
D
Gill
Michael
M
Corvin
Aiden
A
Garavan
Hugh
H
Robertson
Ian H
IH
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology