Disrupted memory inhibition in schizophrenia.
A feature of schizophrenia is disrupted executive function leading to learning difficulties and memory problems. In two experiments we measured the ability of patients with schizophrenia to suppress irrelevant parts of acquired information by intentional (executive) and autonomic (non-executive) strategies. In the first experiment using directed forgetting by lists patients were found to be unable to intentionally suppress recently acquired episodic memories. In a second experiment using a procedure that induces inhibition automatically schizophrenic patients showed levels of inhibition comparable to those of normal controls. These findings indicate that in schizophrenia memory is most impaired in tasks that load heavily on control or executive processes.
Racsmány
Mihály
M
Research Group on Cognitive Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary. racsmany@cogsci.bme.hu
Conway
Martin A
MA
Garab
Edit A
EA
Cimmer
Csongor
C
Janka
Zoltán
Z
Kurimay
Tamás
T
Pléh
Csaba
C
Szendi
István
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011340:Problem Solving; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology