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A new dimension of sensory dysfunction: stereopsis deficits in schizophrenia
Isaac Schechter1, Pamela D Butler, Maria Jalbrzikowski
1Program in Cognitive Neuroscience and Schizophrenia, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York 10962, USA. Schechter@nki.rfmh.org
Background:
Schizophrenia is a neurocognitive disorder with a wide range of cognitive and sensory impairments. Early visual processing has been shown to be especially impaired. This article investigates the integrity of binocular depth perception (stereopsis) in schizophrenia.
Methods:
Seventeen schizophrenia patients and 19 healthy control subjects were compared on the Graded Circles Stereo Test. Results of stereoacuity were compared between patients and control subjects using t test.
Results:
Schizophrenia patients demonstrated significantly (p = .006) reduced stereoacuity (mean = 142 arcseconds) versus control subjects (mean = 55 arcseconds). At the normative level for adults, patients performed below chance.
Conclusions:
These findings demonstrate an impairment of binocular depth perception and further confirm deficits of early visual processing in schizophrenia. Findings are discussed in context of magnocellular/dorsal stream processing with implications for visual processing and cognitive deficits.
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