Emotional Stroop performance predicts disorganization in schizophrenia

Received 29 October 2004; received in revised form 6 February 2005; accepted 16 February 2005.

Abstract

An examination of emotional processing in individuals with schizophrenia may aid in understanding the heterogeneous disease states of schizophrenia. An emotional Stroop test, comprising conditions separated by both emotional valence (positive, negative) and arousal (low, high), was administered to disorganized (N=12) and non-disorganized (N=15) schizophrenic and schizoaffective participants, and 22 non-patient controls. Results indicate that the performance of disorganized versus non-disorganized participants differed particularly on the negative, high arousal condition. Understanding which symptom dimensions accompany aberrant emotion processing might be useful in understanding the mechanisms involved in the exacerbation of symptoms, particularly disorganization. Such information may lead to improved treatment and prevention strategies for schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses.

Keywords: Disorganization, Schizophrenia, Stroop, Emotion

a Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street Rm. 1205, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

b Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 525 E. University, 2252 East Hall, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

c Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Health Alliance, 1493 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

d Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Alewifebrook Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 617 496 8563; fax: +1 617 495 3728.

PII: S0920-9964(05)00074-5

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2005.02.009

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