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Psychophysiology and Genetics: A Key to Psychopathology Research
Author(s) -
George Iacono William
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1983.tb00916.x
Subject(s) - psychopathology , psychophysiology , psychology , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , eye tracking , set (abstract data type) , schizophrenia research , clinical psychology , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , artificial intelligence , computer science , programming language
By combining psychophysiologic and genetic research strategies in the investigation of psychiatric disorders; it is possible to identify psychophysiological measures that may serve as genetic markers of psychopathology. A set of research criteria that can be used to identify and validate a genetic marker is presented. Focusing on the author's research, these criteria were applied to evaluate deviant smooth‐pursuit eye tracking as a potential marker of schizophrenia. The results from studies of both normal subjects and psychiatric patients make a strong case that abnormalities in the eye‐tracking performance of schizophrenic patients have potential as a marker of this disorder. Other research findings pertinent to eye‐tracking performance are discussed along with some ethical concerns arising from this type of psychophysiologic‐genetic research.