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Early visual information processing and the Defence Mechanism Test in schizophrenia
1Department of Neuroscience and Locomotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping, Sweden.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
|July 17, 1999
Summary
This study found limited links between visual processing deficits and high Defence Mechanism Test (DMT) scores in schizophrenia outpatients. Schizophrenia patients
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive impairments, including visual information processing deficits.
- The Defence Mechanism Test (DMT) measures psychological defense mechanisms, with high threshold values potentially indicating underlying psychopathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between impaired visual information processing (measured by backward masking) and high threshold values in the modified Defence Mechanism Test (DMTm) in schizophrenia patients.
Main Methods:
- 20 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (DSM-IV) were assessed using backward masking and a modified DMT (DMTm).
- Data analysis focused on correlations between backward masking performance and DMTm threshold values.
Main Results:
- Nine patients exhibited impaired backward masking.
- A correlation was observed between backward masking impairment and specific DMTm phases (no or late C-phase, late peripheral perception).
- Contrary to expectations, most patients did not present with high DMTm threshold values.
Conclusions:
- Few relationships were found between backward masking impairment and high DMTm threshold values in this sample of primarily outpatients.
- The visual information processing in these schizophrenia outpatients was less disturbed than anticipated.
- Findings suggest caution against generalizing results from inpatient to outpatient schizophrenia populations due to potential differences in symptom severity.