0000000000925150
AUTHOR
Bruno Kopp
Reaction time paradigms in subjects at risk for schizophrenia.
Abstract Deviant response patterns in experimental reaction time paradigms in schizophrenic probands are well documented. Although simple reaction times are strongly influenced by the current psychopathological status of the proband (e.g. florid psychotic patients versus remitted patients) these influences are less clear for measures obtained from more complex reaction time paradigms. These include the crossover paradigm (reaction time to stimuli presented after constant preparatory intervals in comparison to reaction time to stimuli presented after irregular preparatory intervals) and the modality shift paradigm (reaction time to a stimulus (light or tone) when the modality of the stimulus…
Neuropsychological indicators of the vulnerability to schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is associated with enduring deficits in neuropsychological functioning. It is widely undecided if the various aspects of neuropsychological impairment are a consequence of the disorder or if they are also present premorbidly and in populations at increased risk for schizophrenia (vulnerability markers). Neuropsychological deficits in healthy relatives of schizophrenic patients who are at an elevated risk for schizophrenia and who did not yet pass the period of risk would indicate that these deficits are vulnerability markers. This hypothesis was tested for three neuropsychological paradigms which have been proven to distinguish schizophrenic patients from controls. 33 siblings…