title: Attention network test (ANT) reveals gender-specific alterations of executive function in schizophrenia.
abstract: The Attention Network Test (ANT) provides measures for three different components of visual attention: executive control (=conflict inhibition), orienting, and alerting. There is reasonable evidence that alterations of attention-mainly in the executive/conflict domain-are associated with susceptibility to psychiatric illness. Specific impairments may be a characteristic for a medical condition such as schizophrenia and thus shift our understanding from a neuropsychological endophenotype to a more precise genetic understanding of this disorder. Study subjects comprised 35 schizophrenic patients and 35 healthy controls (13 female and 22 male in both groups). The ANT was administered to all participants and rated individual responses for the three factors (alerting, orienting, and conflict) and their respective ratios relative to mean reaction times. With regard to gender differences, group comparisons were performed for schizophrenic patients vs. healthy controls. Significant differences between patients and controls could be detected for mean reaction time (639 vs. 538 ms) and for conflict ratio (0.158 vs. 0.191). The latter difference mainly resulted from gender-specific variances of the conflict network in opposite directions. The executive function as represented by the conflict network of visual attention of the ANT is affected in schizophrenia. We have detected hitherto unreported gender-specific differences between healthy controls and schizophrenic patients. Especially as regards the conflict network, the ANT offers a promising methodology to detect a neuropsychological endophenotype of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin, University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany. carsten.urbanek@charite.de
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Urbanek
authors.forename: Andres Hao Ming
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Opgen-Rhein
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strathmann
authors.forename: Nicol
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wieseke
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schaub
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dettling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*