Error-related processing dysfunction in children aged 9 to 12 years presenting putative antecedents of schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
Intervention aimed at preventing schizophrenia may be most effective if targeted at specific, but modifiable, functional impairments that present during childhood. We have developed a novel method of screening community samples aged 9 to 12 years to identify children who present a triad of putative antecedents of schizophrenia (ASz), defined as 1) speech and/or motor development lags/problems; 2) internalizing, externalizing, and/or peer-relationship problems in the clinical range; and 3) psychotic-like experiences. This study examined whether ASz children display brain function abnormalities during error processing that are similar to those exhibited by adults with schizophrenia.


METHODS
Twenty-two ASz children and 26 typically developing (TD) children with no antecedents of schizophrenia completed an error-inducing Go/NoGo task during event-related potential recording. Group differences were examined in the amplitude and latency of four event-related potential components: the initial error-related negativity (ERN) and later error-positivity (Pe) elicited on false-alarm responses to NoGo trials, and the corresponding initial correct response negativity (CRN) and later correct response positivity (Pc) elicited during processing of correct responses to Go trials.


RESULTS
Relative to TD children, ASz children were characterized by reduced ERN amplitude but unaffected CRN, Pe, and Pc amplitudes. No group differences were observed in the latency of any component.


CONCLUSIONS
Children presenting a triad of putative antecedents of schizophrenia show error-processing dysfunction mimicking that observed in adults with schizophrenia using the same Go/NoGo paradigm. The ASz children displayed specific early error-processing deficits rather than a generalized deficit in self-monitoring.
Laurens
Kristin R
KR
Department of Forensic Mental Health Science, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom. Kristin.Laurens@kcl.ac.uk
Hodgins
Sheilagh
S
Mould
Glenn L
GL
West
Sophie A
SA
Schoenberg
Poppy L A
PL
Murray
Robin M
RM
Taylor
Eric A
EA
D002648:Child; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000150:complications*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires