More prolonged brain activity related to gaze cueing in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
The ability to use the gaze direction of another person to guide attention is important for social functioning, but behavioral reports on this topic among individuals with schizophrenia are inconclusive. Event Related Potentials (ERPs) can very accurately pinpoint the shifting of attention, and can therefore shed more light on cueing abilities in schizophrenia.


METHODS
ERPs were measured during two spatial attention tasks in 14 high-functioning, young adult schizophrenic individuals and 19 age- and IQ-matched controls. In one task neutral faces were used as cues, and in the other arrows.


RESULTS
Speeded behavioral and ERP responses were found to validly cued targets compared with responses to invalidly cued targets in both groups. However, we found more prolonged cueing effects in the patient group in later stages of processing, indicated by enhanced validity effects of late ERP latencies to gaze cues but not to arrow cues.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study provides evidence for normal attentional orienting at behavioral level and early cognitive processing, but more prolonged cognitive evaluation of gaze cues in young adults with schizophrenia.


CONCLUSIONS
Evidence from this study excludes a specific attentional orienting deficit from being a possible endophenotype for the disorder.
Magnée
Maurice J C M
MJCM
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: M.J.C.M.Magnee@umcutrecht.nl.
Kahn
René S
RS
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Cahn
Wiepke
W
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Kemner
Chantal
C
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands.
D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003463:Cues; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult