PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR PSYCHOSIS PREVENTION

基于最近对两个国家心理生理异常的研究， 青少年后期、心理测量定义的人群被认为是弱势群体 发展为精神病，该项目将调查认知 这些群体的异常。 该项目的目标是（1）完善客观的心理生理学 识别弱势个体的选择标准;以及（2） 评估信息处理异常的理论， 这些人，准备发展认知导向， 针对这些异常情况的预防性干预措施。 从规范的信息处理模型衍生的认知任务将 由选择易患精神病的受试者填写，以及 精神抑郁症和非精神病对照组。 这些任务被选中 特别是涉及情感的预期处理， 非情感刺激 广泛的心理生理测量， 任务表现将显示脆弱和控制之间的对比 被试对情感刺激的处理。 基于特定任务 信息处理模型，这些心理生理异常将 暗示了脆弱个体的特定认知差异。 这些研究将加强早期诊断和初级预防， 精神障碍，通过加强一个相对未开发的， 在评估领域， 个体 心理生理学的预测是特别有前途的， 辅助传统的筛选方法，因为目前的心理生理学 功能可能更直接地利用生化异常， 疑似精神病 特别令人感兴趣的是， 两个弱势群体之间的心理生理差异 在研究中 通过确定认知基础， 针对这些差异的心理生理学标记， 可以设计预防性干预措施， 困难和/或脆弱性。

Building on recent work on psychophysiological deviance in two late-adolescent, psychometrically defined populations believed vulnerable to developing psychosis, the project will investigate cognitive abnormalities in these groups. The goals of the project are (1) to refine objective psychophysiological selection criteria for identifying vulnerable individuals; and (2) to evaluate a theory of the information processing abnormalities manifested by these individuals, preparatory to developing cognitively oriented preventive interventions targeted at these abnormalities. Cognitive tasks derived from normative information processing models will be completed by subjects chosen for vulnerability to psychosis, as well as by dysthymic and non-psychiatric controls. These tasks are selected especially to involve anticipatory processing of affective and non-affective stimuli. Extensive psychophysiological measurement during task performance will demonstrate contrasts between vulnerable and control subjects' handling of affective stimuli. Based on task-specific information processing models, these psychophysiological abnormalities will implicate specific cognitive differences in the vulnerable individuals. These studies will enhance the early diagnosis and primary prevention of psychotic disorders, by strengthening a relatively untapped and underdeveloped domain of assessment for identifying vulnerable individuals. Psychophysiological predictors are especially promising as an adjunct to traditional screening methods, since current psychophysiological functioning may more directly tap the biochemical abnormalities which are suspected in psychosis. Of particular interest are known psychophysiological differences between the two vulnerable populations under investigation. By determining the cognitive basis of and refining psychophysiological markers for these differences, individually tailored preventive interventions can be designed which address the specific difficulties and/or vulnerabilities of each population.