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Eyeblink Conditioning in Schizophrenia: A Critical Review
Jerillyn S Kent1, Amanda R Bolbecker2, Brian F O'Donnell2
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|January 7, 2016
Summary
Schizophrenia is linked to cerebellar dysfunction, impairing delay eyeblink conditioning (EBC). This review confirms impaired EBC in schizophrenia, unaffected by medication or study design, supporting cerebellar involvement in the disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Growing evidence suggests cerebellar abnormalities in schizophrenia.
- The cognitive dysmetria theory highlights cerebellar dysfunction's role in schizophrenia.
- Delay eyeblink conditioning (EBC) is a cerebellar-dependent measure of associative learning and cerebellar integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review published studies on EBC in schizophrenia.
- To investigate the impact of antipsychotic medication and study parameters on EBC findings.
- To discuss results within theoretical and neurochemical models of schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies investigating delay eyeblink conditioning in schizophrenia.
- Analysis of potential confounding factors including antipsychotic medication, stimulus parameters, and analysis methods.
- Synthesis of findings to assess consistency and reliability of EBC performance in schizophrenia.
Main Results:
- Consistent impairment in delay eyeblink conditioning (EBC) performance in individuals with schizophrenia was observed.
- Reduced rates of conditioning were the primary measure of EBC impairment.
- Antipsychotic medication and variations in study design did not account for the observed EBC deficits.
Conclusions:
- Cerebellar dysfunction is a consistent finding in schizophrenia, evidenced by impaired EBC.
- EBC serves as a reliable behavioral index of cerebellar integrity in schizophrenia.
- These findings support the role of the cerebellum in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and cognitive dysmetria.
