Backward-masking deficit in adolescents with schizophrenic disorders or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Backward masking is a cognitive task that involves the earliest phases of visual information processing. Disrupted task performance caused by a visual mask has been found repeatedly in schizophrenic patients; however, the specificity to schizophrenia of deficits in backward masking has received only limited study. METHOD: In this study 20 patients with early-onset schizophrenic disorders were compared to 20 adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 30 normal adolescents on a two-digit identification task in three backward-masking conditions: no mask, a short stimulus interval (33.0 msec), and a long stimulus interval (49.5 msec). RESULTS: The performance of the two groups of patients was similar, and both groups showed a statistically significant masking deficit after the long stimulus interval and a nearly significant deficit after the short stimulus interval in comparison with the normal subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Increased vulnerability to the masking stimulus was confirmed in schizophrenic subjects, but it is not specific to schizophrenia and is not accounted for by psychotic symptoms alone, since the subjects with ADHD performed similarly.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
