An fMRI study of visual attention and sensorimotor function before and after antipsychotic treatment in first-episode schizophrenia.

While much is known about receptor affinity profiles of antipsychotic medications, less is known about their impact on functional brain systems in patients with schizophrenia. We conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies with first-episode schizophrenia patients as they made saccades to unpredictable visual targets before and after 4-6 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. Matched healthy individuals were scanned at similar time intervals.

Reduced attentional engagement contributes to deficits in prefrontal inhibitory control in schizophrenia.

Background: Problems with the voluntary control of behavior, such as those leading to increased antisaccade errors, are accepted as evidence of prefrontal dysfunction in schizophrenia. We previously reported that speeded prosaccade responses, i.e.

Oculomotor and neuropsychological effects of antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia.

Cognitive enhancement has become an important target for drug therapies in schizophrenia. Treatment development in this area requires assessment approaches that are sensitive to procognitive effects of antipsychotic and adjunctive treatments. Ideally, new treatments will have translational characteristics for parallel human and animal research.

What aspects of emotional functioning are impaired in schizophrenia?

Disturbances in emotional functioning are a major cause of persistent functional disability in schizophrenia. However, it is not clear what specific aspects of emotional functioning are impaired. Some studies have indicated diminished experience of positive affect in individuals with schizophrenia, while others have not.

Failure of positive but not negative emotional valence to enhance memory in schizophrenia.

Abnormalities in the integration of emotion and cognition have long been considered hallmark characteristics of schizophrenia. Study authors used a well-established emotional memory model from the neuroscience literature to assess the facilitative impact of emotional valence of information on long-term memory consolidation in schizophrenia. Participants with schizophrenia (n=33) indicated somewhat higher levels of emotional intensity in response to emotional images than did healthy (n=28) participants.

Antipsychotic drugs exacerbate impairment on a working memory task in first-episode schizophrenia.

Background: This study sought to replicate previous findings of worsened performance on a translational spatial working memory task among antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia patients after antipsychotic treatment and to extend these findings by examining whether changes in the allocation of covert attention contribute to this effect.

Methods: Fourteen antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia patients performed an oculomotor delayed response task before and 6 weeks after antipsychotic treatment (risperidone n = 11; olanzapine n = 3). Fifteen matched healthy individuals were studied in parallel.