title: Cognitive mapping deficits in schizophrenia: Evidence from clinical correlates of visuospatial transformations.
abstract: The 'cognitive mapping' component of spatial cognition, namely - the allocentric/egocentric function and its relation to symptoms in schizophrenia is relatively unexplored. In this study, we compared schizophrenia patients (N=44) to demographically-matched healthy controls (N=43) using computer-administered visuospatial transformation tasks with egocentric and allocentric components and analyzed their correlation with symptoms. Significant diagnosis X task-type interaction effect was seen on task accuracy. Patients performed significantly worse than controls in the allocentric letter rotation task (LRT) but not in the egocentric people rotation task (PRT). Accuracy in the LRT was significantly lesser than in PRT among patients but not among controls. Patients were significantly slower as compared to controls in both tasks. Both groups took longer to perform PRT as compared to LRT. LRT accuracy showed significant negative correlation with total positive symptoms as well as negative symptoms scores. Angle of rotation, perspective (front-facing/back-facing), orientation (mirrored/normal), and stimulus type (letter/number) were found to significantly influence performance in both groups of subjects. The present data support the finding that there is a differential impairment of allocentric abilities in schizophrenia patients. Further systematic research in this area may facilitate better understanding of schizophrenia pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Sri Mahavir
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.affiliation: The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Danivas
authors.affiliation: The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Anekal C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Amaresha
authors.affiliation: The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Venkataram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shivakumar
authors.affiliation: The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Sunil V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kalmady
authors.affiliation: The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Anushree
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bose
authors.affiliation: The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Janardhanan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Narayanaswamy
authors.affiliation: The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. Electronic address: venkat.nimhans@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ganesan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Venkatasubramanian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012399:Rotation; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Allocentric; Cognitive mapping; Egocentric; Mental rotation; Perspective taking; Schizophrenia