Backward masking performance as an indicator of vulnerability to schizophrenia

Several types of design have been used to identify neurocognitive measures that indicate vulnerability to schizophrenia rather than the presence of th e illness. These designs include studies of first-degree relatives of patie nts, studies of patients in symptomatic remission, and studies of subjects who are considered to be prone to psychosis. The backward masking procedure is one promising indicator of vulnerability to schizophrenia. Backward mas king is a procedure in which identification of an initial stimulus (the tar get) is disrupted by a later stimulus (the mask). Schizophrenic patients sh ow performance deficits on backward masking. Unaffected siblings of patient s, remitted patients, and individuals prone to psychosis also show performa nce deficits on backward masking. This pattern of results suggests that bac kward masking is a promising indicator of vulnerability to schizophrenia. I t provides an alternative phenotype for schizophrenia that is separate from the disorder. The composite nature of masking procedures helps investigato rs to parse a performance deficit into its smallest meaningful elements and relate them to vulnerability to schizophrenia.