Spatial-memory deficit in schizophrenia spectrum disorders under viewpoint-independent demands in the virtual courtyard task.
This study builds upon our previous work indicating that impaired hippocampal-dependent forms of memory are core to schizophrenia. Using a virtual-reality courtyard task, we presented participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD; n = 20) and a healthy community comparison group (n = 20) with objects to remember within a town square, followed by a recognition test of the location of objects from either the same viewpoint or a shifted viewpoint relative to initial presentation. The SSD group demonstrated a relative deficit under shifted- compared to same-view conditions. These findings provide further support for deficient hippocampal-dependent cognition in SSD.
a Department of Psychology , Ryerson University , Toronto , ON , Canada.
Leanne K
LK
Wilkins
Todd A
TA
Girard
Jelena
J
King
Matthew J
MJ
King
Katherine A
KA
Herdman
Bruce K
BK
Christensen
John
J
King
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013037:Spatial Behavior; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult