Title

The Backward Masking Red Light Effect And Schizotypy: The Influence Of Sex

Keywords

Early visual processing; Endophenotype; Magnocellular visual pathway; Schizophrenia; Schizotypal; Visual backward masking

Abstract

Previous research has shown a unique effect of red light on visual processing related to both schizophrenia and positive schizotypy. The current study examined whether this effect is influenced by sex in a more broadly-defined schizotypy sample. A location backward masking (BM) task with red, green, and gray backgrounds was administered to 34 undergraduate students (59% female) with a high score on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and 38 students (50% female) with a low score. Results revealed that the group by color interaction was significant for the male participants, while it did not approach significance in the females. The male schizotypy participants showed a significant decrease in BM accuracy to the red (vs. green) background, while the male control participants showed a non-significant mean increase in accuracy. A decrease in accuracy to the red background in the male schizotypy participants was related to a higher score on the Social Anxiety subscale of the SPQ. Findings suggest that the previously reported schizophrenia red light effect is limited to males when examining a SPQ-defined sample, and appears to be primarily related to negative schizotypy symptoms. The red light effect continues to show promise as a new endophenotype for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Publication Date

9-30-2011

Publication Title

Psychiatry Research

Volume

189

Issue

2

Number of Pages

228-232

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2011.07.018

Socpus ID

80052800321 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/80052800321

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS