Smooth pursuit eye tracking, neuropsychological test performance, and computed tomography in schizophrenia

Smooth pursuit eye movements (SPEM) were measured in 18 patients who met Research Diagnostic Criteria for schizophrenia. Some degree of SPEM impairment was present in most patients. Deviant eye tracking was not related to ratings of severity of illness, but was related to recurrent episodes of hospitalization, antipsychotic medication, and lower ratings in anxiety and delusions. Worse SPEM tended to be associated with larger lateral ventricles as assessed on computed tomography. Three patients with reversed occipital asymmetry had more deviant eye tracking than the remaining patients. Eye movement impairment was related to worse performance in Finger Tapping and in the Trail-Making Test, and to fewer perceived alternations of a Necker cube, suggesting that frontoparietal disturbances are related to poor pursuit eye tracking in schizophrenia.