Configural face processing in schizophrenia.
Evidence suggests schizophrenia patients may have problems integrating visual features into perceptual wholes using configural information. This deficit may impact on higher order socio-cognitive abilities such as facial emotion perception. Twenty-six schizophrenia patients and 26 age and gender matched healthy control participants completed a Fractured Faces Task which disrupted configural face information yet maintained featural information. While participants were matched for performance when viewing whole, unaltered faces; schizophrenia patients were significantly less affected than control participants when the configural information was disrupted. The results indicate altered configural processing and potential over-reliance on featural processing in schizophrenia. The implications of such impaired processing strategies are discussed.
Joshua
Nicole
N
Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, 161 Barry Street, Carlton South, Victoria 3053, Australia. nickijoshua@gmail.com
Rossell
Susan
S
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology