Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Articles & Searches Download to citation manager Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Articles by Mathalon, D. H. Articles by Ford, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Citation Articles by Mathalon, D. H. Articles by Ford, J. M. Neurophysiology Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Selective Attention in Schizophrenia: Sparing and Loss of Executive Control

OBJECTIVE: Auditory selective attention involves top-down modulation of sensory processing to selectively filter relevant from irrelevant information. Patients with schizophrenia have deficits in auditory selective attention, but whether these attention deficits are evident at the earliest stages of auditory processing or emerge later in the processing stream is unknown. METHOD: Event-related potentials were used to assess the integrity and time course of auditory attention in schizophrenia during a cross-modal selective attention task. A random sequence of equiprobable loud and soft speech sounds and bright and dim checkerboard patterns occurred every 800 to 1200 msec. A button press was required in response to soft speech sounds in the auditory attention task and to dim checkerboards in the visual attention task. Event-related potentials were recorded from 15 patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia and 16 age- and gender-matched healthy comparison subjects. RESULTS: As early as 50 msec, both patients and comparison subjects showed evidence of cross-modal selective attention. These attention effects were sustained until 300 msec in comparison subjects but were no longer evident in patients by 100 msec. CONCLUSIONS: Schizophrenia patients implemented an early attentional filter but failed to sustain selective attention later in the processing stream. This suggests that initially intact executive control of auditory attention cannot be sustained in schizophrenia, perhaps implicating dysfunction in frontotemporal pathways.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. I. Kim, D.H. Mathalon, J.M. Ford, M. Mannell, J.A. Turner, G.G. Brown, A. Belger, R. Gollub, J. Lauriello, C. Wible, et al. Auditory Oddball Deficits in Schizophrenia: An Independent Component Analysis of the fMRI Multisite Function BIRN Study Schizophr Bull, January 1, 2009; 35(1): 67 - 81. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Get information about faster international access.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2004 American Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved.

Home | Search | Current Issue | Past Issues | Subscribe | All APPI Journals | Help | Contact Us