CHARACTERIZATION OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

在过去的一年里，我们试图更全面地描述 精神分裂症的认知障碍 我们已经研究了工作记忆使用n回范式。我们现在已经 开发了一个计算模型，使用生产系统，如果 然后是陈述我们还发现， 在背上和智商。更具体地说，这种关系是由智商驱动的 工作记忆要求最高的分测验我们也开始了工作 工作记忆中时间顺序失效的机制 精神分裂症最后，我们认为CPT的某些组成部分可能 包括工作记忆和刺激反应映射， 注意力和警惕性，因为迄今强调，并正在测试这一点， 假说. 我们已经用语言流畅性来评估语义系统的完整性 精神分裂症特别是，我们发现， 对语义和语音流畅性的影响， 与特定类别的损伤无关。 我们开始了一系列深入的研究，研究精神抑制剂对以下方面的影响： 如在所述n回测中实例化的工作记忆; B.广泛的 临床神经认知测试 精神分裂症的思维障碍继续受到审查。一 最近一项使用三元比较任务的研究发现， 高度思维障碍的语义地图杂乱无章。（一） 这一现象的可能机制涉及异常的自动扩散 通过语义启动评估的激活。）我们开始收集 非语言变形任务的数据，以评估精神分裂症患者 以与普通控件相同的方式划分语义边界。我们 也是在对单词的反应时间测试中看这个问题。最后我们 正在做一项对比研究， 老年痴呆症患者和儿童寻找分离 词汇量和组织结构之间的关系。 精神分裂症的遗传学研究，重点是中间型 表型正在进行中。我们正在使用大量的神经认知 用于表征这种“中间”表型的措施。我们是基于 理论基础是，患者不会遗传精神分裂症，而是遗传了各种 易受认知障碍及其伴随者的影响 神经生理异常我们将使用极端不和谐对 （受影响未受影响）和受影响同胞对选定的变量和 试图找到认知变量和遗传标记之间的联系。

For the past year we have attempted to characterize more completely the cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. We have examined working memory using an n back paradigm. We have now developed a computational model of this task using production system if then statements. We have also found a strong relation between performance on the n back and IQ. More specifically this relation was driven by IQ subtests with the greatest working memory demands. We have also begun work on the mechanisms accounting for temporal order failures in working memory in schizophrenia. Last we believe that some components of the CPT might involve working memory and stimulus response mapping as opposed to attention and vigilance as heretofore stressed and are testing this hypothesis. We have used verbal fluency to assess the integrity of the semantic system in schizophrenia. In particular we found that pacing has differential effects on the semantic versus phonologic fluency and that schizophrenia is not associated with category specific impairments. We began an intensive series of studies of the effects of neuroleptics on: a working memory as instantiated in the n back test; b. a wide array of clinical neurocognitive tests. Thought disorder in schizophrenia continued to come under scrutiny. A recent study using a triadic comparisons task found that patients with high levels of thought disorder had disorganized semantic maps. (One possible mechanism for this involved abnormal automatic spreading activation as assessed by semantic priming.) We are beginning to gather data on a nonverbal morphing task to assess where schizophrenic patients delimit semantic boundaries in the same way as do normal controls. We are also looking at this question in a reaction time test to words. Last we are doing a contrast study which compares patients with schizophrenia to patients with Alzheimer's disease and children to find dissociations between the size of the verbal lexicon and its organization. A genetic study of schizophrenia with an emphasis on intermediate phenotypes is ongoing. We are using a large battery of neurocognitive measures to characterize this "intermediate" phenotype. We base this on the rationale that patients do not inherit schizophrenia but a variety of susceptibilities to cognitive impairments and their attendant neurophysiologic abnormalities. We will use extreme discordant pairs (affected unaffected) and affected sib pairs for selected variables and attempt to find linkage between cognitive variables and genetic markers.