THE RELEVANCE OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL METH ODS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH

The present paper examines the potential significance of psychophysiol ogical approaches in schizophrenia research. After a brief description of commonly used psychophysiological parameters these indices are dis cussed with respect to the underlying biological and/or psychological mechanisms which they may reflect. The prevailing view today links the so-called tonic phychophysiological measures with arousal states whil e phasic parameters are in part assumed to index information processes . Considering the important role which abnormal arousal levels as well as cognitive deviances have traditionally played in models of psychot ic deterioration, it appears that psychophysiology can make valuable c ontributions in experimental schizophrenia research.