Visual information processing deficits in schizophrenic patients

使用视觉搜索任务，本研究调查了精神分裂症患者的前注意和焦点注意过程。比较了精神分裂症患者和正常人在特征搜索和连接搜索方面的表现。在特征搜索中，精神分裂症患者的反应时间函数斜率几乎为零，这表明精神分裂症患者在前注意过程中的功能处于正常水平。在联合搜索中，精神分裂症受试者在目标缺失上的斜率比正常受试者更陡，这表明他们在焦点注意过程中存在缺陷。本研究证明了视觉搜索任务在研究精神分裂症患者视觉信息加工缺陷方面的效用。

Using a visual search task, the present study investigated preattentive and focal attentional processes in schizophrenic patients. The performance of schizophrenic patients and normal subjects was compared in two search : feature search and conjunction search. In the feature search, the schizophrenic subjects showed nearly zero slopes of reaction time function as did the normal subjects, indicating that in the preattentive process the schizophrenic patients functioned at a normal level. In the conjunction search, the schizophrenic subjects showed steeper slopes than the normal subjects for target absence, suggesting that there was a deficit in the focal attentional process. The present study demonstrates the utility of the visual search task to investigate visual information processing deficits in schizophrenic patients.