THE EFFECTS OF ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATION ON SEQUENTIAL INHIBITORY PROCESSES

The authors used a Stroop negative priming paradigm to examine the eff ects of antipsychotic medication on selective attentional processes. T he performance of 14 patients with schizophrenia who were withdrawn fr om neuroleptic medication was compared with that of 10 medicated patie nts and 16 matched controls. Results demonstrated an increase in negat ive priming to normal levels with neuroleptic therapy. In contrast, wi thin-trial interference and facilitation effects appeared to be less s ensitive to medication therapy. The sustainment of inhibitory processe s over time may differentiate the inhibitory mechanisms of the medicat ion-withdrawn patients from both the medicated patients and the matche d controls. The study of sequential inhibitory processes and their res ponse to neuroleptic treatment could be important methods for understa nding the temporal parameters associated with inhibition in schizophre nia.