Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
11:01
Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: August 30, 2011
Distinguishing familiarity-based from source-based memory performance in patients with schizophrenia
Anthony P Weiss1, Donald C Goff, Margaret Duff
1Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. aweiss@partners.org
Schizophrenia Research
|July 17, 2007
Summary
Schizophrenia patients show deficits in familiarity-based memory but retain source-based memory abilities. Novelty detection is slower in schizophrenia, suggesting impaired familiarity processing in episodic memory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive deficits, particularly in memory.
- The precise nature of these memory impairments requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine familiarity-based and source-based memory processes in schizophrenia.
- To compare performance between medicated patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- An external source memory task was administered to 18 medicated schizophrenia patients and 18 healthy controls.
- Measures included item recognition, source identification accuracy, and reaction times.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients exhibited impaired item recognition (familiarity) but intact source memory.
- Reaction times for novelty detection were significantly slower in patients, not due to generalized processing speed deficits.
- Response times for source-based decisions were similar between groups.
Conclusions:
- Patients with schizophrenia demonstrate deficits in familiarity-based memory but intact source-based memory.
- Delayed novelty detection in schizophrenia suggests impaired familiarity-based episodic memory.
- Findings highlight specific memory process deficits in schizophrenia.
