The relationship of information-processing deficits and clinical symptoms in schizotypal personality disorder.

Full Abstract

Individuals with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) are thought to be phenotypically related to individuals with schizophrenia. This assumption is partially supported by the fact that SPD patients have deficits on biological markers similar to those found in schizophrenia. Visual backward masking (VBM) performance and critical stimulus duration (CSD), measures of information processing found to be abnormal in schizophrenia patients, were assessed in 14 SPD and 21 comparison subjects. There was no significant difference between groups in VBM performance; however; there were significant correlations between VBM deficits and the number of SPD symptoms, as well as elevated scores on the Ego. Impairment Index (EII). Additionally, there was a trend (p = 056) toward elevations in CSD in the SPD versus the comparison group and CSD inflation appears to be most prominent in individuals with a greater number of social deficit symptoms and elevated physical anhedonia scores. These findings suggest an important relationship between symptoms of SPD and neurophysiologic deficits.

Author information

Author/s: Cadenhead, K S (KS); Perry, W (W); Braff, D L (DL);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0804, USA.

Grants: MH 10072-03 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; MH 42228 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Biological psychiatry (Biol Psychiatry), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1996-Nov; vol 40 (issue 9) : pp 853-8

Dates: Created 1997/03/18; Completed 1997/03/18; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 8896771, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.