SMOOTH-PURSUIT EYE-MOVEMENT DYSFUNCTION AND MOTOR CONTROL IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

Smooth-pursuit eye-tracking data of 63 schizophrenic patients and 52 n ormal controls are presented and compared with data collected on the s ame subjects 2 years earlier. Despite considerable clinical stabilizat ion of the patients the overall eye-tracking performance did not impro ve. Intrasubject stability over 2 years was moderate. Eye-tracking imp airment was significantly correlated with number of psychomotor soft s igns and with number of errors in an antisaccade task. The correlation s indicate that impairment of smooth-pursuit eye movements is likely t o be a consequence of deficient motor control.