[Perception of chimeric faces in schizophrenia and right hemispheric dysfunction]

The aim of this study was the assessment of cerebral specialisation in perception of emotional chimeric drawings in 50 non-chronic schizophrenics (S), 50 chronic schizophrenics (CS), 30 right brain-damaged inpatients (P), and 50 normal controls. All were marked right handers. The assessment was performed after a four-week treatment. Structure and intensity of schizophrenia symptomatology were scored on the PANSS scale. Happy-sad chimeric face drawings (David 1989) were viewed twice in free vision. A perceiver bias towards left hemiface of chimeric drawings (LHF bias) and sad bias were scored in all subjects. Subjects rated their mood at the time of testing on a visual analogue scale. The schizophrenics and right brain-damaged inpatients showed significantly weaker LHF bias compared with healthy subjects, which may suggest right cerebral hemisphere dysfunction in perception of emotional chimeric drawings. Moreover, chronic schizophrenic patients revealed significantly weaker LHF bias and sad bias compared to non-chronic subjects. There was no correlation of left perceptual bias with clinical ratings: PANSS scale, MMSE, number of hospitalisations, neuroleptic dose, and current mood, which suggests stable properties of the perceptual deficit.