Impaired Fixation-Related Theta Modulation Predicts Reduced Visual Span and Guided Search Deficits in Schizophrenia

Voorhis, Abraham C. Van; Braga, Filipe; Todd, Julianne; López-Calderón, Javier; Martı́nez, Antı́gona; Javitt, Daniel C.

doi:10.1093/cercor/bhz277

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Facial expressions in the real world involve slow subtle movements (Sowden, Schuster, & Cook, 2019), and SzP seem particularly impaired in processing moving facial expressions (Arnold, Iaria, & Goghari, 2016;Johnston et al, 2010;Kohler et al, 2008). Since magnocellular processing dominates peripheral vision, SzP may have greater deficits in the processing of peripheral v. central moving facial expressions (Dias et al, 2020;Javitt, 2009;Martinez et al, 2018). Therefore, we examined the visual scanning of faces in peripheral vision relative to low-level visual features (motion, contrast, and luminance), hypothesizing that the likelihood that SzP make saccades to moving facial expressions in peripheral vision would be reduced compared to healthy controls (HC).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What you see is what you get: visual scanning failures of naturalistic social scenes in schizophrenia

et al. 2020

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Background Impairments in social cognition contribute significantly to disability in schizophrenia patients (SzP). Perception of facial expressions is critical for social cognition. Intact perception requires an individual to visually scan a complex dynamic social scene for transiently moving facial expressions that may be relevant for understanding the scene. The relationship of visual scanning for these facial expressions and social cognition remains unknown. Methods In 39 SzP and 27 healthy controls (HC), we used eye-tracking to examine the relationship between performance on The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), which tests social cognition using naturalistic video clips of social situations, and visual scanning, measuring each individual's relative to the mean of HC. We then examined the relationship of visual scanning to the specific visual features (motion, contrast, luminance, faces) within the video clips. Results TASIT performance was significantly impaired in SzP for trials involving sarcasm (p < 10−5). Visual scanning was significantly more variable in SzP than HC (p < 10−6), and predicted TASIT performance in HC (p = 0.02) but not SzP (p = 0.91), differing significantly between groups (p = 0.04). During the visual scanning, SzP were less likely to be viewing faces (p = 0.0001) and less likely to saccade to facial motion in peripheral vision (p = 0.008). Conclusions SzP show highly significant deficits in the use of visual scanning of naturalistic social scenes to inform social cognition. Alterations in visual scanning patterns may originate from impaired processing of facial motion within peripheral vision. Overall, these results highlight the utility of naturalistic stimuli in the study of social cognition deficits in schizophrenia.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What you see is what you get: visual scanning failures of naturalistic social scenes in schizophrenia

et al. 2020

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“…Furthermore, delta activity coherence, as measured by intertrial coherence (ITC), showed a significant positive correlation with speed of processing [ 91 ]. However, other task-related studies [ 84 , 91 ] did not report an association between evoked delta activity and cognitive functions both in SCZ and CHR. Furthermore, Qu et al [ 90 ] employed machine learning methods to develop a model combining clinical and electrophysiological variables (evoked activity in delta, theta and alpha bands and MMN amplitude) in order to predict cognitive impairments.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Many studies have also investigated task-related theta activity. In particular, in SCZ theta power evoked during working memory or visual tasks was correlated with working memory performance [ 89 , 98 , 99 ], attention [ 84 ], speed of processing [ 84 , 88 , 89 ], visual learning [ 88 ] and social perception [ 87 ]. Using a machine learning approach, Johannesen et al [ 99 ], found that the machine learning model, combining the evoked activity of theta, alpha, beta and gamma bands, successfully predicted working memory performance.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unveiling the Associations between EEG Indices and Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

et al. 2022

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Cognitive dysfunctions represent a core feature of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders due to their presence throughout different illness stages and their impact on functioning. Abnormalities in electrophysiology (EEG) measures are highly related to these impairments, but the use of EEG indices in clinical practice is still limited. A systematic review of articles using Pubmed, Scopus and PsychINFO was undertaken in November 2021 to provide an overview of the relationships between EEG indices and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Out of 2433 screened records, 135 studies were included in a qualitative review. Although the results were heterogeneous, some significant correlations were identified. In particular, abnormalities in alpha, theta and gamma activity, as well as in MMN and P300, were associated with impairments in cognitive domains such as attention, working memory, visual and verbal learning and executive functioning during at-risk mental states, early and chronic stages of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The review suggests that machine learning approaches together with a careful selection of validated EEG and cognitive indices and characterization of clinical phenotypes might contribute to increase the use of EEG-based measures in clinical settings.

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Schizophrenia (Sz) is characterised by dysfunction in cognitive and sensory processing (e.g., Dias et al, 2020;Javitt, 2009Javitt, , 2022, which are both crucial processes for successful reading (see Vanova et al, 2020 for review). Although approximately 1 in 222 adults (0.45%) worldwide are affected by Sz according to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), very little work has explored reading deficits in Sz.

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confidence: 99%

“…Reading fluency reflects a precise coordination between lower- (e.g., oculomotor and visual processing) and higher-level (e.g., lexical access, semantic integration) cognitive processes (Kendeou et al, 2014; Kintsch, 1988; Reichle et al, 2009), and prior work indicates that both lower- and higher-level deficits are present in readers with Sz (e.g., Dias et al, 2021; Fernández et al, 2016; Wolf et al, 2021). As evidence for lower-level oculomotor and visual deficits during connected-text reading, individuals with Sz exhibit shorter saccade lengths, 2 longer fixation durations, more regressive saccades, reduced perceptual spans (and consequently, reduced parafoveal processing), and slower reading rates than healthy controls (Dias et al, 2020, 2021; Roberts et al, 2013; Whitford et al, 2013, 2018). In a study by Dias et al (2021), eye movements and electroencephalography (EEG) were co-registered to examine neural activity time-locked to fixations.…”

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confidence: 99%

Lower-level oculomotor deficits in schizophrenia during multi-line reading: Evidence from return-sweeps

Christofalos,

Laks,

Wolfer

et al. 2024

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

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Reading fluency deficits in schizophrenia (Sz) have been attributed to dysfunction in both lower-level, oculomotor processing and higher-level, lexical processing, according to the 2-hit deficit model (Dias et al., 2021). Given that prior work examining reading deficits in readers with Sz has primarily focused on single-line and single-word reading tasks, eye-movements that are unique to passage reading, such as return-sweep saccades, have not yet been examined in Sz. Return-sweep saccades are large eye-movements that are made when readers move from the end of one line to the beginning of the next line during natural passage reading. Examining return-sweeps provides an opportunity to examine lower-level, oculomotor deficits during reading under circumstances when upcoming higher-level, lexical information is not available for visual processing because visual acuity constraints do not permit detailed lexical processing of line-initial words when return-sweeps are programmed. To examine the source of reading deficits in Sz, we analyzed an existing dataset (Dias et al., 2021) in which participants read multi-line passages with manipulations to line-spacing. Readers with Sz made significantly more return-sweep targeting errors followed by corrective saccades compared to healthy controls. Both groups showed similar effects of line spacing on return-sweep targeting accuracy, suggesting similar sensitivities to visual crowding during reading. Furthermore, the patterns of fixation durations in readers with Sz corroborates prior work indicating reduced parafoveal processing of upcoming words. Together, these findings suggest that lower-level visual and oculomotor dysfunction contribute to reading deficits in Sz, providing support for the 2-hit deficit model (Dias et al., 2021).

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Impaired Fixation-Related Theta Modulation Predicts Reduced Visual Span and Guided Search Deficits in Schizophrenia

Cited by 9 publications

References 47 publications

What you see is what you get: visual scanning failures of naturalistic social scenes in schizophrenia

What you see is what you get: visual scanning failures of naturalistic social scenes in schizophrenia

Unveiling the Associations between EEG Indices and Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

Lower-level oculomotor deficits in schizophrenia during multi-line reading: Evidence from return-sweeps

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