Studies have suggested that schizophrenia is characterized by an
impairment in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex that prevents learning of
some elementary information processing tasks. To test this hypothesis, the
authors administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test to 16 schizophrenic
inpatients with standard instructions and either contingent or
noncontingent reinforcement. Performance was markedly impaired under each
condition. A second cohort (N = 12) was tested after receiving instructions
plus rehearsal and feedback. These subjects' performance was comparable to
nonpatient norms and was maintained on a subsequent day. The results
indicate that deficits in performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
are remediable, whether or not they are due to neurological impairment.
Abstract Teaser