The Contribution of Early Sensory Deficits to Attention Impairments and Symptom Severity in Schizophrenia
Item
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Title
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The Contribution of Early Sensory Deficits to Attention Impairments and Symptom Severity in Schizophrenia
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:081b72b6a50c:11909
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identifier
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12551
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Creator
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Perrin, Megan Alana,
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Contributor
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Joshua Brumberg | Daniel C. Javitt
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Date
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2013
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Clinical psychology | Neurosciences | Attention | Event Related Potential | Hallucinations | Mismatch Negativity | Schizophrenia | Sensory Processing
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Abstract
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Recent evidence suggests that early primary sensory cortices and impairments in sensory processing are characteristics of schizophrenia. Early sensory processing impairments likely contribute to cognitive dysfunction and symptom severity. Attention impairments are among the most significant neurocognitive symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Performance on traditional assessments of attention requires reliance on other aspects of cognitive functioning known to be disrupted in schizophrenia, such as working memory, processing speed and perception, leaving unresolved the degree to which impaired performance truly reflects attention.;From a sensory perspective, attention involves an interaction between exogenous and endogenous networks. Exogenous processes, also referred to as attentional capture or "bottom-up" modulation, refers to stimulus-driven processes for capture of attention, even in the absence of volitional intent. Endogenous attention, also referred to as attentional allocation or "top-down" attention, refers to volitional modulation of intent and depends on processes such as attention and working memory. Although endogenous attentional processes have been extensively characterized in schizophrenia, the exogenous processing networks remains significantly understudied. Recent findings from sensory investigations demonstrate that systems underlying the exogenous network are severely compromised in schizophrenia, suggesting that loss of automatic attentional capture may be an important, but understudied aspect of the illness.;Studies of auditory discrimination of pitch, frequency and loudness consistently demonstrate early auditory processing and primary auditory cortex abnormalities in schizophrenia. Primary auditory cortex abnormalities and misattribution of sound sources have been postulated to cause hallucinations. However, few studies have examined early sensory processing associated with spatial localization and none have assessed its relationship with hallucination severity.;In the present dissertation, three studies were conducted to examine early visual and auditory sensory processing in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The first examined the contribution of early visual processing deficits to impaired performance on traditional assessments of visual attention. The remaining two studies examined auditory spatial localization. The relationship between spatial localization and positive symptom severity was also explored. Overall, the findings suggest that early sensory processing deficits significantly contribute to impaired performance on traditional assessments of attention and symptom severity.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
