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Pursuit eye movements in chronic schizophrenics: relationship between increased saccades and negative symptoms
Author(s) -
Ciuffreda K. J.,
Alpert M.,
Blackstone T.,
Fudge R.,
Thaler J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
ophthalmic and physiological optics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.147
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1475-1313
pISSN - 0275-5408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-1313.1994.tb00561.x
Subject(s) - smooth pursuit , eye movement , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychology , audiology , psychosis , cognition , physical medicine and rehabilitation , neuroscience , psychiatry , medicine
Smooth pursuit eye movements of chronic schizophrenics ( n = 16) and controls ( n = 10) were recorded while subjects tracked a sinusoidally‐moving target. Negative symptoms in schizophrenics were rated using the Schedule for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms. An increased frequency of smooth pursuit eye movement abnormalities was found in the schizophrenic group, including greater variability of gain and more frequent and larger saccades. Frequency of saccades was positively correlated with the Negative Symptoms scales for attentional impairment and alogia. The results confirm findings of eye movement dysfunction in schizophrenics and provide new evidence that the motor and cognitive dysfunctions of schizophrenia may be related.