Eye Movements and Cognitive Functioning in Patients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Network Analysis
Alexander Shmukler1, Alexander V Latanov2, Maria Karyakina1
1Department of Psychotic Spectrum Disorders, Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry, The Branch of V. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|December 3, 2021
Summary
Network analysis reveals key connections between eye movement patterns and cognitive functions in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This helps identify central oculomotor and neurocognitive targets for treatment and cognitive remediation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Oculomotor parameters are frequently used in cognitive assessments for psychotic spectrum disorders.
- Comparing eye movement reactions with psychometric cognitive tests offers insights into complex neurological relationships.
- Network analysis is ideal for understanding the intricate links between oculomotor function and neurocognition in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the multidimensional relationships between oculomotor reactions and neurocognition in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
- To construct a network model illustrating these complex interdependencies.
- To identify central elements within both oculomotor and neurocognitive domains.
Main Methods:
- 134 participants (93 schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients, 41 healthy controls) were studied.
- Eye movements were recorded using an SMI RED 500 eye-tracker.
- Cognitive function was assessed using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) battery.
Main Results:
- A network model revealed that median antisaccade latency was central to oculomotor function.
- Symbol Coding, Digit Sequencing, and Verbal Fluency tests were central neurocognitive elements.
- Connections existed between most cognitive and oculomotor functions, with notable exceptions.
Conclusions:
- Network analysis offers quantifiable metrics for assessing neurophysiological and neurocognitive abnormalities in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
- This approach aids in identifying key targets for patient management and cognitive remediation strategies.
- The study highlights the utility of network analysis in understanding complex brain function in psychiatric conditions.
