Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
Evidence for sustained attention and working memory in schizophrenia sharing a common mechanism
1Sha'ar Menashe Mental Health Center, And Director, Brain Behavior Laboratory, Mobile Post Hefer 38814, Israel. mdsilver@tx.technion.ac.il
Abstract:
Sustained attention and working memory (WM) are closely related functions that may share common mechanisms. The authors assessed sustained attention in schizophrenia patients and healthy comparison subjects using visuomotor tracking tasks under varying distractor loads. The attentional effort expended to deal with distractors was lower in patients and showed significant association with WM, executive function and negative symptoms in that group. It is proposed that the anterior attention system of sustained attention models and the executive function of the WM model describe the same or a closely related mechanism that is located in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and is impaired in schizophrenia.
Related Concept Videos
Working Memory
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Storage

