Executive/attentional performance and measures of schizotypy in patients with schizophrenia and in their nonpsychotic first-degree relatives

Citation
A. Laurent et al., Executive/attentional performance and measures of schizotypy in patients with schizophrenia and in their nonpsychotic first-degree relatives, SCHIZOPHR R, 46(2-3), 2000, pp. 269-283
Citations number
79
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry,"Neurosciences & Behavoir
Journal title
SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH
ISSN journal
09209964 → ACNP
Volume
46
Issue
2-3
Year of publication
2000
Pages
269 - 283
Database
ISI
SICI code
0920-9964(200012)46:2-3<269:EPAMOS>2.0.ZU;2-H
Abstract
Previous studies of executive/attentional functions have found impairments in nonpsychotic first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia. The aims of this study were. (1) to replicate these findings by three laborator y measures of attention/information processing - a continuous performance t est (DS-CPT), a forced-choice span of apprehension task (SPAN), and a digit symbol substitution test (DSST), and by a series of neuropsychological tes ts sensitive to prefrontal cortical damage - Trail Making A and B, verbal f luency (VFT), Stroop Color and Word Test (Stroop), and Wisconsin Card Sorti ng Test (WCST); (2) to investigate whether such executive/attentional defic its are associated with schizotypal traits assessed using the social anhedo nia, physical anhedortia. perceptual aberration and magical ideation scales (Chapman, L.J., Chapman, J.P., Raulin, M.L. 1976. Scales for physical and social anhedonia. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 85, 374-382; Chapman, L.J., Chapman, J.P., Raulin, IM.L., 1978. Body-image aberration in schizophrenia. J. Abnor m. Psychol. 87, 399-407; Eckblad, M., Chapman, L.J., 1983. Magical ideation as an indicator of schizotypy. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 51, 215-225). In both patient and relative groups, performance was significantly poorer o n the DSST, VFT and Trail B, and the reaction time on the SPAN was signific antly longer. These neuropsychological impairments were present as much in siblings as in parents of schizophrenic patients: age did not appear to can cel differences between the relative and control groups. In the relative gr oup, the four scores of schizotypy were at an intermediate level between th ose of patient and control groups, and the social anhedonia and perceptual aberration scores tended to be significantly different between the relative and the control groups. Only two significant correlations were found betwe en the neuropsychological performance and the measures of schizotypy. (C) 2 000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.