Atypical scanpaths in schizophrenia: Evidence of a trait- or state-dependent phenomenon?

Abstract

The development of trait markers of schizophrenia would represent an important advance in understanding the genetic architecture of the disease. To date, no candidate markers have satisfied all of the trait marker criteria, and many are not specific to the schizophrenia spectrum. Abnormalities in visual scanpaths are frequently reported in patients with schizophrenia and are emerging as a novel candidate for a schizophrenia biomarker. Here we review the suitability of scanpath measures as a target for trait marker research in schizophrenia. Papers reporting scanpath patterns in patients with schizophrenia were identified by PubMed and Google Scholar searches and by scanning reference lists in relevant articles. Search terms included "schizophrenia," "psychosis," "scanpath," "scan path," "fixation," "saccade" and "eye movement." Scanpath abnormalities afford impressive sensitivity and specificity and appear largely independent of psychotropic medications. Scanpaths may demonstrate some fluctuation with symptomatology and may be useful in illuminating illness state or subtypes. However, there is evidence that viewing behaviours remain atypical regardless of symptom remission and may be present in unaffected relatives of individuals with schizophrenia. This research is in its early stages, and further investigation regarding patterns of inheritance is required. Our findings support scanpath measures as a favourable topic for further investigation as a trait marker.

Effects of Training of Affect Recognition on the recognition and visual exploration of emotional faces in schizophrenia

“…These gaze strategies have proven to be stable characteristics in the course of the disorder (Streit et al, 1997;Beedie et al, 2011;Toh et al, 2011). In line with the literature Fig.…”

“…Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders show abnormalities in the visual exploration of faces (and other stimuli) characterized by fewer fixations of longer average durations and a tendency to avoid salient facial features (Streit et al, 1997;Williams et al, 1999;Loughland et al, 2002b;Green et al, 2003;Bestelmeyer et al, 2006;Benson et al, 2007;Lee et al, 2010), for review see Toh et al (2011). Because of the stability of these atypical scanpaths in schizophrenia patients, their role as a potential trait marker was already discussed by several authors (Loughland et al, 2002a(Loughland et al, , 2004Marsh and Williams, 2006;Beedie et al, 2011).…”

Reduced Inferior and Orbital Frontal Thickness in Adolescent Bulimia Nervosa Persists Over Two-Year Follow-Up

“…15 A trait marker of a disorder is typically conceptualized in these studies as a characteristic that distinguishes an individual with a disorder from healthy controls, is present before and predicts disorder onset, persists following total or partial remission, and is present in individuals with subclinical profiles. In contrast, a state marker of a disorder is defined as a characteristic that is only present, or at least more pronounced, during acute phases of a disorder, with symptoms fluctuating with levels of that marker.…”

Standing postural instability in patients with schizophrenia: Relationships with psychiatric symptoms, anxiety, and the use of neuroleptic medications

“…While there was a correlation between the negative symptoms and ML in all our patients, area of sway and ML correlated with the psychiatric symptoms only in the eyes-open condition in the patients without EPS. In this regard, abnormalities of eye movement, which reflect impaired input and processing of visual information, are often reported in patients with schizophrenia, and it has been suggested that such abnormalities correlate with psychiatric symptoms[27]. Thus, alterations in the input of visual information might influence postural sway, and further analysis of this link may be needed to understand the characteristic of postural sway in patients with schizophrenia.…”