Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
Published on: June 12, 2020
Decision-making dysregulation in first-episode schizophrenia
Katja Cattapan-Ludewig1, Stephan Ludewig, Nadine Messerli
1University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. katja.cattapan@puk.unibe.ch
Schizophrenia patients exhibit behavioral dysregulation early in their illness. This study found that first-episode schizophrenia patients showed abnormal decision-making, indicating early-stage illness markers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is characterized by cognitive deficits, including decision-making abnormalities.
- Previous research identified behavioral dysregulation in chronic schizophrenia patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if behavioral dysregulation is present in the early stages of schizophrenia.
- To analyze decision-making behavior in first-episode schizophrenia patients.
Main Methods:
- A two-choice prediction task was administered to 32 first-episode schizophrenia/schizophreniform patients and 30 healthy controls.
- Decision-making behavior was analyzed using metrics such as dysregulation, metric entropy, and mutual information.
Main Results:
- First-episode schizophrenia patients displayed significant behavioral dysregulation during the task.
- Patients exhibited low metric entropy and increased mutual information, indicative of abnormal decision-making patterns.
- These findings suggest that decision-making abnormalities are present from the onset of the illness.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral dysregulation is an early marker of schizophrenia.
- Abnormal decision-making patterns are evident in the initial stages of the illness, impacting cognitive function.
More Related Videos
05:52Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
13:08Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
Published on: December 2, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Decision Making
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Schizophrenia
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
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...