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Has an important test been overlooked? Closure flexibility in schizophrenia
Pamela D Butler1, Isaac Schechter, Nadine Revheim
1Schizophrenia Research Center, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, United States. butler@nki.rfmh.org
Schizophrenia Research
|January 30, 2010
Summary
Schizophrenia patients exhibit severe visual processing deficits, particularly in holding visual information stable amidst distractions. The Closure Flexibility Test (CFT) effectively measures this, correlating with attention measures in schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Visual processing deficits are a core feature of schizophrenia.
- Louis Thurstone developed the Closure Flexibility Test (CFT) in the 1940s to assess visual perceptual processing, specifically the ability to maintain focus despite distractions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of individuals with schizophrenia on the CFT.
- To examine the relationship between CFT performance and other neuropsychological functions, particularly sustained visual attention.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-nine patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 40 controls completed the original (10-min) and a brief (3-min) version of the CFT.
- Performance was assessed and correlated with measures of sustained visual attention, including the MATRICS Continuous Performance Test-Identical Pairs version (CPT-IP).
Main Results:
- Patients with schizophrenia demonstrated significant, large effect-size deficits on both CFT versions (d=1.6 for original, d=1.2 for brief).
- These deficits persisted even after controlling for IQ.
- CFT scores were significantly correlated with attention/vigilance measures (CPT-IP), even when accounting for other neurocognitive intercorrelations.
Conclusions:
- The findings confirm severe visual processing impairments in schizophrenia.
- The CFT is a brief, easily administered, and psychometrically sound tool that may serve as a valuable index for sustained visual attention in schizophrenia research and clinical practice.
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