Abstract
Introduction. Psychometric studies confirm that cognitive deviations commonly reported in schizophrenics are also detectable in healthy subjects exhibiting elevated scores in questionnaires assessing schizotypal personality. In the present study, a relationship between three cognitive tasks and schizotypy was investigated predicting that schizotypal disorganisation would be associated with deficits in the trail-making B and Stroop task in accordance with previous results obtained with schizophprenics. Methods. Prior to completing the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), a measure designed according to the DSM-III-R criteria of schizotypal personality disorder, a group of healthy subjects performed the Stroop task (n = 160) and the trail-making tests A and B (n = 80). Results. Disorganisation as assessed with two SPQ-subscales was significantly correlated with slowness in the trail-making test A and the Stroop task before and after correction for some possible confounds. A significant correlation between disorganisation and trail-making B performance disappeared when the effects of psychomotor slowness were controlled for. Conclusions. It is inferred that both schizotypal and schizophrenic disorganisation are related to impaired prefrontal functioning and psychomotor slowness. The psychometric high risk approach is thought to be an important tool to circumvent some of the problems frequently encountered in research investigating schizophrenic patients.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 343-349 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Cognitive Neuropsychiatry |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 1999 |
| Externally published | Yes |