Sensorimotor transformation deficits for smooth pursuit in first-episode affective psychoses and schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Smooth pursuit deficits are an intermediate phenotype for schizophrenia that may result from disturbances in visual motion perception, sensorimotor transformation, predictive mechanisms, or alterations in basic oculomotor control. Which of these components are the primary causes of smooth pursuit impairments and whether they are impaired similarly across psychotic disorders remain to be established.

Methods

First-episode psychotic patients with bipolar disorder (n = 34), unipolar depression (n = 24), or schizophrenia (n = 77) and matched healthy participants (n = 130) performed three smooth pursuit tasks designed to evaluate different components of pursuit tracking.

Results

On ramp tasks, maintenance pursuit velocity was reduced in all three patients groups

SUBMITTER: Lencer R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2879155 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature