Response inhibition and interference control: Effects of schizophrenia, genetic risk, and schizotypy

Abstract

The ability to inhibit inappropriate responses and suppress irrelevant information is a core feature of executive control. In this study, we provide a detailed analysis of prepotent response inhibition and interference in patients with schizophrenia. To further test the role of genetic factors and subclinical schizophrenia-like traits, we additionally studied clinically unaffected, first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients and assessed dimensions of schizotypy in both relatives and healthy controls. Inhibition and interference control were assessed using a battery comprising the antisaccade, Stroop, stop signal, go/no-go, flanker, and Simon tasks. Schizophrenia patients differed from both relatives and controls in making more errors on the antisaccade task and having longer response times on the Stroop task, especially the incongruent condition. Patients also had general, that is, condition independent, increases in reaction times on the go/no-go and flanker tasks and made more errors on the flanker and Simon tasks, suggesting general performance impairments independent of inhibitory demand. Relatives were characterized by hypometric antisaccade amplitude gain despite normal prosaccades, suggesting a selective deficit in non-standard sensorimotor transformations. Schizotypy was correlated with inhibitory performance across a number of tasks in both relatives and controls. Generally, these effects were independent of verbal intelligence levels. Overall, the findings point to rather selective impairments of inhibitory control in the schizophrenia spectrum and confirm a previously observed deficit in antisaccade spatial accuracy as an endophenotype of schizophrenia.

GABAergic modulation of performance in response inhibition and interference control tasks

“…Inhibitory control, a major component of cognitive control, plays an important role in goal-directed behaviour. Countless situations require the inhibition of inappropriate reactions, thoughts, impulses, or feelings, and inhibitory impairments are observed in various psychiatric and neurological patient populations (Chamberlain et al, 2006;Ettinger, Aichert et al, 2018;Schachar et al, 1993). Inhibitory control is a heterogeneous construct (Aron, 2007;Harnishfeger, 1995).…”

Differential profiles of response inhibition deficit between male children with autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia

“…At the neurophysiological and neuroimaging levels, empirical findings also converge to show a significant impairment in response inhibition in SZ patients [Fryer et al, ; Hughes et al, ; Mayer et al, ; Thakkar et al, ]. Moreover, Ettinger et al [], by studying individuals with SZ and their first‐degree relatives, suggested that response inhibition deficits could be a potential endophenotype for SZ.…”

Prepulse inhibition of the blink reflex is abnormal in functional movement disorders

“…Relationship of PPI size to motor symptom persistency should be possibly studied in FMD. Abnormal PPI may represent a premorbid trait rendering patients more susceptible to disease (as suggested in schizophrenia) or it may be a consequence of, or a compensatory phenomenon related to the disease.…”

“…64 Relationship of PPI size to motor symptom persistency should be possibly studied in FMD. Abnormal PPI may represent a premorbid trait rendering patients more susceptible to disease (as suggested in schizophrenia) 48,59 or it may be a consequence of, or a compensatory phenomenon related to the disease. There were no between-group differences in sensory thresholds nor in the effect of the prepulse on intensity of discomfort resulting from application of the electrical stimuli.…”