Abstract
Background: Impaired processing of faces in patients with schizophrenia may underlie
aspects of disturbance in their social interaction. This study examined patterns of
eye fixation in subjects with schizophrenia and non-psychiatric controls, while processing
a high resolution picture of a neutral face and a nonbiological complex geometric
stimulus.
Methods: Ten-second sequences of eye movement were recorded video-oculographically
(50 samples/sec) while subjects were “free-viewing” the stimuli. An essential element
of the study was customized software that ensured stimulus presentation on a video
display only after subjects were fixated upon a centre-screen cue, so that all subjects
began stimulus processing from the same point.
Results: Compared with the control group, subjects with schizophrenia exhibited reduced
scanpath lengths and a tendency toward fewer fixations for the face stimulus. They
also showed an initial relative right spatial hemineglect (for the first voluntary
fixation) when viewing the Rey figure, but not when viewing the face stimulus. Overall,
there were no significant differences between the schizophrenia and control groups
in the lateral distribution of subsequent fixations for either stimulus.
Conclusions: Disturbed spatial and temporal patterns of eye movement in some people
with schizophrenia may reflect sub-optimal processing of face stimuli, that may predispose
these individuals to dysfunctional interpretation of facial communication cues.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 10,
1999
Received in revised form:
February 8,
1999
Received:
July 22,
1998
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
