ADAPTATION OF VISUALLY GUIDED BEHAVIOR DURING REVERSED VISION IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

This preliminary study evaluated the adaptation of visually guided beh avior to reversed vision in schizophrenia. The study included 54 patie nts who met DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia. Visuomotor reaction times (VRTs) during reversed vision were measured in six blocks of 35 consecutive trials. The VRTs of schizophrenics were compared with thos e of normal subjects. A good fit (R-2 = 0.9981) for the adaptation pro cess of VRTs during reversed vision was found with the equation y = 10 30 + 1499/x, where x is the order of the block and y is the group mean VRT for each block. The VRTs in schizophrenics were significantly slo wer than those in normal subjects. However, the adaptation process to reversed vision essentially did not differ from normal. The adaptation of visually guided behavior during reversed vision may involve proced ural learning; this task may thus be useful in evaluating such learnin g. The VRTs during reversed vision may be related to some aspects of s ymptoms in the patient with schizophrenia and may also be useful in pr edicting clinical outcome. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.