A potential qualitative endophenotype for schizophrenia: Backward masking response to red light

    Authors

    J. S. Bedwell; D. M. Orem; Y. Rassovsky; L. G. Allen;S. R. Sutterby

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Psychiatry Res.

    Keywords

    Visual processing; Magnocellular visual pathway; Cognitive; Genetic; Location backward masking; Masking by pattern; INFORMATION-PROCESSING DEFICITS; VISUAL MASKING; BACKGROUND COLOR; M-CHANNELS; MOTION; VULNERABILITY; METACONTRAST; SCHIZOTYPAL; TRANSIENT; PERFORMANCE; Psychiatry

    Abstract

    Past research with unaffected relatives of individuals with schizophrenia has suggested a new qualitative endophenotype for schizophrenia that involves a unique change in visual processing response to red light. The current study provides the first report of this "red light effect" in individuals with schizophrenia (N=15), compared with nonpsychiatric controls (N=16), using a location backward masking by pattern paradigm with red and green background conditions. Analyses revealed a statistically significant group difference in the overall change in accuracy to a red background. Controls tended to show an increase in accuracy with the red (compared with green) background, although the medium effect size was not statistically significant in the small sample. In contrast, participants with schizophrenia showed a statistically significant decrease in accuracy with the red background. Results support recent reports which have suggested that a unique change in visual processing in response to red light may represent a new endophenotype for schizophrenia. This effect is unique from most existing endophenotypes in that it represents a distinct qualitative performance pattern rather than simply poorer performance relative to a comparison group. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All fights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Psychiatry Research

    Volume

    166

    Issue/Number

    2-3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2009

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    166

    Last Page

    173

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000265344500009

    ISSN

    0165-1781

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