Visual scanpath dysfunction in first-degree relatives of schizophrenia probands: evidence for a vulnerability marker?

Loughland, Carmel M; Williams, Leanne M; Harris, Anthony W

doi:10.1016/S0920-9964(03)00094-X

« Previous Next »Schizophrenia Research
Volume 67, Issue 1 , Pages 11-21, 1 March 2004

Visual scanpath dysfunction in first-degree relatives of schizophrenia probands: evidence for a vulnerability marker?

Carmel M Loughland
- Corresponding author. Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders (NISAD), Centre for Mental Health Studies, University of Newcastle and Hunter Mental Health, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia. Tel.: +61-4024-6611; fax: +61-4924-6608.
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology and The Brain Dynamics Centre, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- NISAD, Centre for Mental Health Studies, Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Leanne M Williams
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology and The Brain Dynamics Centre, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Anthony W Harris
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology and The Brain Dynamics Centre, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Prevention, Early Intervention and Recovery Service, Western Sydney Mental Health Service, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia

Received 30 November 2001; accepted 14 March 2003.

Abstract

Previous research demonstrates that people with schizophrenia have abnormally ‘restricted’ visual scanpaths to face and facial expression stimuli, which appear to be diagnostically specific to schizophrenia [Schizophr. Res. 55 (2002) 159; Biol. Psychiatry 52 (2002) 338]. This study examined the familial transmission of ‘restricted’ scanpaths in first-degree relatives of schizophrenia subjects. We recorded visual scanpaths for 65 schizophrenia subjects, 37 biological first-degree relatives and 61 nonrelated ‘healthy’ control subjects in two experiments: ‘face recognition’ and ‘facial affect recognition’. Concurrent behavioral tasks were face matching and expression matching, each under two multiple-choice conditions (seven or three options). As predicted, first-degree relatives generally showed an attenuated form of the markedly ‘restricted’ scanpaths of schizophrenia subjects across all face stimuli. The notable exception to this pattern was the relatives' extreme avoidance of facial features (compared to both schizophrenia and healthy control groups). Our results offer the first evidence that some components of visual scanpath dysfunction may represent a trait marker in the familial transmission of schizophrenia, but that first-degree relatives may have additional disturbances in social cognition associated with the perception of facial features.

Keywords: Visual scanpaths, Schizophrenia, First-degree relatives, Familial, Face, Emotion