The proposed research includes three studies that are conceptually related and utilize similar procedures. These studies are designed to investigate the nature of information processing deficits in schizophrenia by incorporating recent developments from experimental psychology. The studies will use the same groups of subject: medicated schizophrenic patients, unmedicated schizophrenic patients, bipolar patients, the siblings for each patient group, and normal controls. These groups allow us to test vulnerability and specificity issues as they relate to information processing deficits. Study 1 will investigate the possibility that deficits shown by schizophrenic patients across a variety of tests (Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Span of Apprehension, Backward Masking, and Critical Stimulus Duration (CSD) can be explained by a common deficit in early visual processing. It appears that negative symptoms are associated with deficits on each of these measures; hence a rating scale for negative symptoms will also be administered. Recent developments in the experimental literature offer the possibility of identifying the mechanism of backward masking under certain conditions. It is hypothesized that an early visual processing deficit can account for a large proportion of the variance on the CPT and Span, but is unrelated to performance on a verbal memory test. Study 2 will consider whether performance deficits on these measures represent episode markers or vulnerability markers. This study will investigate information processing deficits in normal controls and siblings of psychiatry patients using the same measures as Study 1. Presence of a deficit in a disproportionate number of first-degree relatives supports its role as a vulnerability marker. Despite the increasing importance of backward masking and CSD to schizophrenia research, these task have never been used with any first-degree relatives. Study 3 will use a metacontrast masking procedure with targets of high and low spatial frequency. This study is designed to test the hypothesis that certain visual sustained channels are dysfunctional in schizophrenia.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
First Independent Research Support & Transition (FIRST) Awards (R29)
Project #
1R29MH043292-01A1
Application #
3474719
Study Section
Psychopathology and Clinical Biology Research Review Committee (PCB)
Project Start
1988-08-01
Project End
1993-07-31
Budget Start
1988-08-01
Budget End
1989-07-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Type
Hospitals
DUNS #
119132785
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Jimenez, Amy M; Lee, Junghee; Green, Michael F et al. (2017) Functional connectivity when detecting rare visual targets in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 261:35-43
Jimenez, Amy M; Lee, Junghee; Wynn, Jonathan K et al. (2016) Abnormal Ventral and Dorsal Attention Network Activity during Single and Dual Target Detection in Schizophrenia. Front Psychol 7:323
Horan, William P; Wynn, Jonathan K; Hajcak, Greg et al. (2016) Distinct patterns of dysfunctional appetitive and aversive motivation in bipolar disorder versus schizophrenia: An event-related potential study. J Abnorm Psychol 125:576-87
Wynn, Jonathan K; Jimenez, Amy M; Roach, Brian J et al. (2015) Impaired target detection in schizophrenia and the ventral attentional network: Findings from a joint event-related potential-functional MRI analysis. Neuroimage Clin 9:95-102
Horan, William P; Reise, Steven P; Kern, Robert S et al. (2015) Structure and correlates of self-reported empathy in schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 66-67:60-6
Tabak, Naomi T; Green, Michael F; Wynn, Jonathan K et al. (2015) Perceived emotional intelligence is impaired and associated with poor community functioning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Schizophr Res 162:189-95
Wynn, Jonathan K; Roach, Brian J; Lee, Junghee et al. (2015) EEG findings of reduced neural synchronization during visual integration in schizophrenia. PLoS One 10:e0119849
Davis, Michael C; Horan, William P; Nurmi, Erika L et al. (2014) Associations between oxytocin receptor genotypes and social cognitive performance in individuals with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 159:353-7
Wynn, Jonathan K; Jahshan, Carol; Green, Michael F (2014) Multisensory integration in schizophrenia: a behavioural and event-related potential study. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 19:319-36
Horan, William P; Wynn, Jonathan K; Mathis, Ian et al. (2014) Approach and withdrawal motivation in schizophrenia: an examination of frontal brain asymmetric activity. PLoS One 9:e110007

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