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Favrod O, Brand A, Berdzenishvili E, Chkonia E, Akselrod M, Wagemans J, Herzog MH, Roinishvili M. Embedded figures in schizophrenia: A main deficit but no specificity. Schizophr Res Cogn 2022; 28:100227. [PMID: 34976748 PMCID: PMC8683755 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2021.100227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual deficits are core deficits of schizophrenia. Classically, deficits are determined with demanding psychophysical tasks requiring fine-grained spatial or temporal resolution. Less is known about holistic processing. Here, we employed the Leuven Embedded Figures Test (L-EFT) measuring classic aspects of Gestalt processing. A target shape is embedded in a context and observers have to detect as quickly as possible in which display the target is embedded. Targets vary in closure, symmetry, complexity, and good continuation. In all conditions, schizophrenia patients had longer RTs compared to controls and depressive patients and to a lesser extent compared to their siblings. There was no interaction suggesting that, once the main deficit of schizophrenia patients is discarded, there are no further deficits in Gestalt perception between the groups. This result is in line with a growing line of research showing that when schizophrenia patients are given sufficient time to accomplish the task, they perform as well as controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ophélie Favrod
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
- Corresponding author.
| | - Andreas Brand
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
| | - Eka Berdzenishvili
- Department of Psychiatry, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Eka Chkonia
- Department of Psychiatry, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences, Agricultural University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Michel Akselrod
- MySpace Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Wagemans
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Department of Brain and Cognition, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Belgium
| | - Michael H. Herzog
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
| | - Maya Roinishvili
- Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences, Agricultural University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Laboratory of Vision Physiology, Beritashvili Centre of Experimental Biomedicine, Tbilisi, Georgia
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Chepeliuk AA, Vinogradova MG. The Performance of Visual Perceptual Tasks in Patients with Schizotypal Personality Disorder. PSYCHOLOGY IN RUSSIA: STATE OF ART 2021; 14:42-58. [PMID: 36810993 PMCID: PMC9939041 DOI: 10.11621/pir2021.0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The most significant features for clinical diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) are cognitive-perceptual and disorganized symptoms. Experimental study of visual perceptual processes is important to elucidate the psychological mechanisms of cognitive-perceptual impairment in SPD. Objective To research the performance of visual perceptual tasks in SPD. Design Series I and II presented the subjects with visual perceptual tasks with different types of instructions (vague, verbal, or visual perceptual cues). The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R) was also administered. The participants were 39 SPD patients, 36 obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) patients (F.21.8, F.60.5 in ICD-10, respectively), and 102 healthy controls. Results SPD patients had a significantly lower number of correct answers in conditions of vague instruction and verbal cues in Series I of a visual-perceptual task in comparison with healthy subjects (p < 0.01). With visual perceptual cues in Series II, patients with SPD had the same number of correct answers as controls, whereas OCPD patients had the same number of correct answers as controls with verbal cues in Series I. SPD patients had significantly lower scores in most verbal and nonverbal WAIS-R subtests in comparison with controls. SPD patients differed from OCPD patients in that they had lower scores in the "Information" (p < 0.05) and "Comprehension" (p < 0.05) subtests. Conclusion With visual-perceptual cues, SPD patients were able to achieve normative results in the performance of visual-perceptual tasks, whereas patients with OCPD demonstrated lower productivity. In SPD patients, the basic impairments were associated with difficulties in inhibition of peculiar responses, stability of a subjective manner of performance and inability to revise it, low orientation to the model, and slipping into subjective associations with the stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia A. Chepeliuk
- FSBI “Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology”, Moscow, Russia, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia,* Corresponding author. E-mail:
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Michelini G, Palumbo IM, DeYoung CG, Latzman RD, Kotov R. Linking RDoC and HiTOP: A new interface for advancing psychiatric nosology and neuroscience. Clin Psychol Rev 2021; 86:102025. [PMID: 33798996 PMCID: PMC8165014 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) and the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) represent major dimensional frameworks proposing two alternative approaches to accelerate progress in the way psychopathology is studied, classified, and treated. RDoC is a research framework rooted in neuroscience aiming to further the understanding of transdiagnostic biobehavioral systems underlying psychopathology and ultimately inform future classifications. HiTOP is a dimensional classification system, derived from the observed covariation among symptoms of psychopathology and maladaptive traits, which seeks to provide more informative research and treatment targets (i.e., dimensional constructs and clinical assessments) than traditional diagnostic categories. This article argues that the complementary strengths of RDoC and HiTOP can be leveraged in order to achieve their respective goals. RDoC's biobehavioral framework may help elucidate the underpinnings of the clinical dimensions included in HiTOP, whereas HiTOP may provide psychometrically robust clinical targets for RDoC-informed research. We present a comprehensive mapping between dimensions included in RDoC (constructs and subconstructs) and HiTOP (spectra and subfactors) based on narrative review of the empirical literature. The resulting RDoC-HiTOP interface sheds light on the biobehavioral correlates of clinical dimensions and provides a broad set of dimensional clinical targets for etiological and neuroscientific research. We conclude with future directions and practical recommendations for using this interface to advance clinical neuroscience and psychiatric nosology. Ultimately, we envision that this RDoC-HiTOP interface has the potential to inform the development of a unified, dimensional, and biobehaviorally-grounded psychiatric nosology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Michelini
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States of America.
| | - Isabella M Palumbo
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States of America
| | - Colin G DeYoung
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States of America
| | - Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States of America
| | - Roman Kotov
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11790, United States of America
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Tagami U, Imaizumi S. No Correlation Between Perception of Meaning and Positive Schizotypy in a Female College Sample. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1323. [PMID: 32595575 PMCID: PMC7304487 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We visually perceive meaning from stimuli in the external world. There are inter-individual variations in the perception of meaning. A candidate factor to explain this variation is positive schizotypy, which is a personality analogous to positive symptoms of schizophrenia (e.g., visual hallucination). The present study investigated the relationship between positive schizotypy, and the perception of meaning derived from meaningful and meaningless visual stimuli. Positive schizotypy in Japanese female undergraduates (n = 35) was assessed by the Cognitive-Perceptual dimension of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. The participants were asked to report what they saw in noise-degraded images of meaningful objects (Experiment 1) and to respond whether the objects were meaningful (Experiment 2A) and which paired objects were meaningful (Experiment 2B). Positive schizotypy (i.e., Cognitive-Perceptual score) did not correlate with time to detect meaningful objects, and with false-alarm rates, sensitivity, and response criterion in the perception of meaning from meaningful and meaningless stimuli. These results were against our hypothesis and contradicted previous findings. The inconsistencies are discussed in terms of different methods (e.g., stimulus category) and conditions (e.g., paranormal beliefs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ubuka Tagami
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shu Imaizumi
- Institute for Education and Human Development, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Shu Imaizumi,
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Sami MB, McCutcheon RA, Ettinger U, Williams S, Lythgoe D, McGuire P, Bhattacharyya S. Cannabis Use Linked to Altered Functional Connectivity of the Visual Attentional Connectivity in Patients With Psychosis and Controls. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgaa018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Both chronic cannabis use and psychotic disorders are associated with abnormalities in visual attentional processing. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we sought to determine whether there would be a difference in functional connectivity in patients and controls with and without a history of cannabis use in the visual and dorsal attention networks.
Methods
Resting-state fMRI data were acquired in patients with early psychosis with (EPC = 29) and without (EPNC = 25); and controls with (HCC = 16) and without (HCNC = 22) cannabis use.
Results
There was a patient effect in both Visual-Dorsal Attention Internetwork (F(1,87) = 5.326, P = .023) and the Visual Network (F(1,87) = 4.044, P = .047) and a cannabis effect in the Dorsal Attention Network (F(1,87) = 4.773, P = .032). These effects were specific to the networks examined with no evidence for significant patient or cannabis effects in other canonical networks. Patients with a history of cannabis use showed increased connectivity in the Dorsal Attention Network (134%, P = .019) and Visual Dorsal Attention Internetwork (285%, P = .036) compared to non-using controls. In the EPC group connectivity of the Visual Network (ρ = 0.379, P = .042) and Visual-Dorsal Attention Internetwork (ρ = 0.421, P = .023) correlated with visual hallucinations which were significantly different from EPNC (P = .011). Dorsal attention network strength correlated with severity of dependence for cannabis (ρ = 0.215, P = .04).
Conclusion
We demonstrate specific cannabis and patient effects in networks associated with visual attentional processing. There is a differential association with hallucinatory symptoms in patients with and without a history of cannabis use. This may indicate that dysconnectivity in these networks serves different roles in the context of cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musa Basseer Sami
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences King’s College London, London, UK
- Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Robert A McCutcheon
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences King’s College London, London, UK
| | | | - Steve Williams
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Dave Lythgoe
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences King’s College London, London, UK
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Superior Disembedding in Children with ASD: New Tests Using Abstract, Meaningful, and 3D Contexts. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 48:2478-2489. [PMID: 29468574 PMCID: PMC5996016 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3508-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Since its initial development, the embedded figures test (EFT) has been used extensively to measure local–global perceptual style. However, little is known about the perceptual factors that influence target detection. The current study aimed to investigate disembedding in children with and without ASD, aged 8–15 years, using the newly developed, stimulus-controlled L-EFT, M-EFT and D-EFT. Firstly, results revealed superior disembedding for children with ASD, irrespective of the type of target or embedding context, although the ASD group took more time in both the M-EFT and D-EFT. Secondly, the number of target lines continuing into the context proved more of a hindrance for the controls. Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence to support the notion of superior disembedding in ASD.
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Morita K, Miura K, Fujimoto M, Yamamori H, Yasuda Y, Kudo N, Azechi H, Okada N, Koshiyama D, Ikeda M, Kasai K, Hashimoto R. Eye movement abnormalities and their association with cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2019; 209:255-262. [PMID: 30661730 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.12.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eye movement abnormalities have been identified in schizophrenia; however, their relevance to cognition is still unknown. In this study, we explored the general relationship between eye movements and cognitive function. METHODS The three eye movement measures (scanpath length, horizontal position gain, and duration of fixations) that were previously reported to be useful in distinguishing subjects with schizophrenia from healthy subjects, as well as Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III) scores, were collected and tested for association in 113 subjects with schizophrenia and 404 healthy subjects. RESULTS Scanpath length was positively correlated with matrix reasoning and digit symbol coding in subjects with schizophrenia and correlated with vocabulary and symbol search in healthy subjects. Upon testing for interaction effects of diagnosis and scanpath length on correlated WAIS-III scores, a significant interaction effect was only observed for matrix reasoning. The positive correlation between scanpath length and matrix reasoning, which was specific to subjects with schizophrenia, remained significant after controlling for demographic confounders such as medication and negative symptoms. No correlation was observed between the two other eye movement measures and any of the WAIS-III scores. CONCLUSIONS Herein, we reveal novel findings on the association between eye-movement-based measures of visual exploration and cognitive scores requiring visual search in subjects with schizophrenia and in healthy subjects. The association between scanpath length and matrix reasoning, a measure of perceptual organization in subjects with schizophrenia, implies the existence of common cognitive processes, and subjects with longer scanpath length may be advantageous in performance of perceptual organization tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Morita
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 1138655, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Miura
- Department of Integrative Brain Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Konoe-cho, Yoshida, Kyoto, Kyoto 6068501, Japan.
| | - Michiko Fujimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, D3, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 5650871, Japan; Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 1878553, Japan
| | - Hidenaga Yamamori
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 1878553, Japan; Japan Community Health care Organization Osaka Hospital, 4-2-78, Fukushima, Fukushima-ku, Osaka-city, Osaka 5530033, Japan
| | - Yuka Yasuda
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 1878553, Japan; Life Grow Brilliant Mental Clinic, Takahashi Bldg. 7F, 2-1-21, Shibata, Kita-ku, Osaka-city, Osaka 5300012, Japan
| | - Noriko Kudo
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 1878553, Japan
| | - Hirotsugu Azechi
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 1878553, Japan
| | - Naohiro Okada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 1138655, Japan; The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN) at The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Tokyo 1138655, Japan
| | - Daisuke Koshiyama
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 1138655, Japan
| | - Manabu Ikeda
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, D3, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 5650871, Japan
| | - Kiyoto Kasai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 1138655, Japan; The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN) at The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Tokyo 1138655, Japan
| | - Ryota Hashimoto
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 1878553, Japan; Osaka University, D3, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 5650871, Japan.
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Devia C, Mayol-Troncoso R, Parrini J, Orellana G, Ruiz A, Maldonado PE, Egana JI. EEG Classification During Scene Free-Viewing for Schizophrenia Detection. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2019; 27:1193-1199. [DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2019.2913799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Panton KR, Badcock JC, Dickinson JE, Badcock DR. Poorer Integration of Local Orientation Information Occurs in Students With High Schizotypal Personality Traits. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:518. [PMID: 30405458 PMCID: PMC6207847 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Contour integration is impaired in schizophrenia patients, even at the first episode, but little is known about visual integration abilities prior to illness onset. To examine this issue, we compared undergraduate students high and low in schizotypal personality traits, reflecting putative liability to psychosis, on two psychophysical tasks assessing local and global stages of the integration process. The Radial Frequency Jittered Orientation Tolerance (RFJOT) task measures tolerance to orientation noise at the local signal level, when judging global stimulus orientation, whilst the Radial Frequency Integration Task (RFIT) measures the ability to globally integrate the local signals that have been extracted during shape discrimination. Positive schizotypy was assessed with the Perceptual Aberration (PAb) scale from the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales-Brief. On the RFJOT task, the High PAb group (n = 55) tolerated statistically significantly less noise (d = -0.494) and had a lower proportion of correct responses (d = -0.461) than the Low PAb group (n = 77). For the RFIT there was no statistically significant difference in integration abilities between the High and Low PAb groups. High and Low PAb groups also differed on other positive and disorganized (but not negative) schizotypy traits, hence poorer performance on the RFJOT may not be solely related to unusual perceptual experiences. These findings suggest that difficulties with local noise tolerance but not global integration occur in healthy young adults with high levels of schizotypal personality traits, and may be worth investigating as a marker of risk for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten R. Panton
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Johanna C. Badcock
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - J. Edwin Dickinson
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - David R. Badcock
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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Panton KR, Badcock JC, Dickinson JE, Badcock DR. Poorer Search Efficiency in Healthy Young Adults With High Schizotypal Personality Traits. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:285. [PMID: 30050472 PMCID: PMC6052133 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceptual organization (PO) difficulties have repeatedly been reported in people with schizophrenia, and in healthy individuals with high levels of schizotypy traits, who are at increased risk for schizophrenia. In particular, poor performance on the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) has been interpreted as an atypically strong preference for global over local processing, even though these processes cannot be clearly disambiguated on this test. Here we use two separate versions of the Radial Frequency Search Task (RFST), a new index of PO abilities, to selectively investigate global and local processing of shape information in trait schizotypy. Schizotypy traits were assessed using the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales-Brief. Individuals selected for high and low levels of positive schizotypy [assessed with the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales-Brief Perceptual Aberration (PAb) scale] completed the EFT, along with the Global RFST and the Local RFST, all of which require participants to find a target shape amongst distractor elements. The High PAb group (n = 83) were less efficient (i.e., reactions times slowed more as the set size increased) than the Low PAb group (n = 146) on the Global RFST (significant group differences for Target Absent conditions only), but not the Local RFST. High and Low PAb groups also differed on other schizotypy traits, so the specificity of the results to positive schizotypy cannot be assured. Unexpectedly, no group differences were observed on the EFT; however, there was a small, but significant, positive correlation between RFST search efficiency and EFT performance, indicating that they shared some common processes. Overall, the pattern of results suggests that global (but not local) processing difficulties may be contributing to the poorer perceptual organization observed in groups with high levels of schizotypy traits. In addition, the confinement of this result to the Target Absent condition suggests that the underlying mechanism involves differences in decisional processes on the RFST between high and low schizotypy groups. The RFST shows promise as a useful tool for measuring specific perceptual organization abilities in non-clinical, and potentially clinical, samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten R. Panton
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Johanna C. Badcock
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre - Mental Health, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - J. Edwin Dickinson
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - David R. Badcock
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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Enhanced mental imagery and intact perceptual organization in schizotypal personality disorder. Psychiatry Res 2018; 259:433-438. [PMID: 29131991 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 10/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
According to a widely held view, psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are characterized by a vague boundary between the perception of the external world and the inner imagery of persons, objects, and events. In this study, we addressed the perception-imagery debate in schizotypal personality disorder (SPD). Thirty individuals with SPD and 30 matched healthy subjects completed a lateral masking task. Participants were asked to detect a low-contrast Gabor patch flanked by two collinear Gabor masks. In the perceptual task, the masks were physically present, whereas in the imagery task, participants only imagined the masks. By applying a binocular rivalry paradigm, we also measured the imagery priming effect. Results revealed that, in the perceptual task, collinear masks similarly decreased contrast threshold in SPD and controls. In the imagery task, contrast threshold reduction (facilitation by the imagined masks) was more pronounced in SPD relative to the controls. In the binocular rivalry paradigm, individuals with SPD showed higher imagery priming effects as compared to healthy controls. Enhanced imagery was not related to schizotypal traits. These results indicate intact early visual perception and heightened imagery in SPD, which may be a trait marker of unusual experiences without psychotic disorganization.
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de-Wit L, Huygelier H, Van der Hallen R, Chamberlain R, Wagemans J. Developing the Leuven Embedded Figures Test (L-EFT): testing the stimulus features that influence embedding. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2862. [PMID: 28149677 PMCID: PMC5267572 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Embedded Figures Test (EFT, developed by Witkin and colleagues (1971)) has been used extensively in research on individual differences, particularly in the study of autism spectrum disorder. The EFT was originally conceptualized as a measure of field (in)dependence, but in recent years performance on the EFT has been interpreted as a measure of local versus global perceptual style. Although many have used the EFT to measure perceptual style, relatively few have focused on understanding the stimulus features that cause a shape to become embedded. The primary aim of this work was to investigate the relation between the strength of embedding and perceptual grouping on a group level. Method New embedded figure stimuli (both targets and contexts) were developed in which stimulus features that may influence perceptual grouping were explicitly manipulated. The symmetry, closure and complexity of the target shape were manipulated as well as its good continuation by varying the number of lines from the target that continued into the context. We evaluated the effect of these four stimulus features on target detection in a new embedded figures task (Leuven Embedded Figures Test, L-EFT) in a group of undergraduate psychology students. The results were then replicated in a second experiment using a slightly different version of the task. Results Stimulus features that influence perceptual grouping, especially good continuation and symmetry, clearly affected performance (lower accuracy, slower response times) on the L-EFT. Closure did not yield results in line with our predictions. Discussion These results show that some stimulus features, which are known to affect perceptual grouping, also influence how effectively a stimulus becomes embedded in different contexts. Whether these results imply that the EFT measures individual differences in perceptual grouping ability must be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee de-Wit
- Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hanne Huygelier
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ruth Van der Hallen
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rebecca Chamberlain
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Wagemans
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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McCabe KL, Marlin S, Cooper G, Morris R, Schall U, Murphy DG, Murphy KC, Campbell LE. Visual perception and processing in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: associations with social cognition measures of face identity and emotion recognition. J Neurodev Disord 2016; 8:30. [PMID: 27536336 PMCID: PMC4988033 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-016-9164-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) have difficulty processing social information including facial identity and emotion processing. However, difficulties with visual and attentional processes may play a role in difficulties observed with these social cognitive skills. METHODS A cross-sectional study investigated visual perception and processing as well as facial processing abilities in a group of 49 children and adolescents with 22q11DS and 30 age and socio-economic status-matched healthy sibling controls using the Birmingham Object Recognition Battery and face processing sub-tests from the MRC face processing skills battery. RESULTS The 22q11DS group demonstrated poorer performance on all measures of visual perception and processing, with greatest impairment on perceptual processes relating to form perception as well as object recognition and memory. In addition, form perception was found to make a significant and unique contribution to higher order social-perceptual processing (face identity) in the 22q11DS group. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate evidence for impaired visual perception and processing capabilities in 22q11DS. In turn, these were found to influence cognitive skills needed for social processes such as facial identity recognition in the children with 22q11DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn L McCabe
- Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA USA ; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Stuart Marlin
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Gavin Cooper
- Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Robin Morris
- King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Ulrich Schall
- Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Declan G Murphy
- King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Kieran C Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Linda E Campbell
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia ; Priority Research Centre GrowUpWell, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Science Offices, Ourimbah, NSW 2258 Australia
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Abstract
A suite of recent studies has reported positive genetic correlations between autism risk and measures of mental ability. These findings indicate that alleles for autism overlap broadly with alleles for high intelligence, which appears paradoxical given that autism is characterized, overall, by below-average IQ. This paradox can be resolved under the hypothesis that autism etiology commonly involves enhanced, but imbalanced, components of intelligence. This hypothesis is supported by convergent evidence showing that autism and high IQ share a diverse set of convergent correlates, including large brain size, fast brain growth, increased sensory and visual-spatial abilities, enhanced synaptic functions, increased attentional focus, high socioeconomic status, more deliberative decision-making, profession and occupational interests in engineering and physical sciences, and high levels of positive assortative mating. These findings help to provide an evolutionary basis to understanding autism risk as underlain in part by dysregulation of intelligence, a core human-specific adaptation. In turn, integration of studies on intelligence with studies of autism should provide novel insights into the neurological and genetic causes of high mental abilities, with important implications for cognitive enhancement, artificial intelligence, the relationship of autism with schizophrenia, and the treatment of both autism and intellectual disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences and Human Evolutionary Studies Program, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada
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