Relationship Between Visual Integration, Social Cognition, and Symptoms in Schizophrenia: An Eye-Tracking Study

This study investigates the associations between eye movement patterns, visual contour integration, social cognitive abilities, and symptom severity in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The study included 40 clinically stable patients with schizophrenia. Eye movements were recorded using an eye-tracking system during a free-viewing paradigm. Visual integration was evaluated with the Jittered Orientation Visual Integration (JOVI) task, while social cognition was assessed using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and the Hinting Task. Symptom severity was measured with the PANSS. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and repeated measures analysis of variance.

Positive symptom severity was positively correlated with increased fixation counts and faster path velocity in social contexts. Conversely, social cognition was negatively correlated with fixation duration and saccadic velocity during face exploration. Participants exhibited significantly lower fixation counts when viewing socially relevant images. Additionally, shorter saccade length and slower path velocity were observed during face viewing. However, no significant relationship was found between eye movements and contour integration.

This study demonstrates that eye movement characteristics in schizophrenia may be significantly associated with social cognition and symptom severity. Although causal inferences cannot be drawn due to the cross-sectional design, the findings help clarify inconsistencies in the literature and partially address gaps regarding eye movement research. Furthermore, the study provides valuable insights for the development of eye movement–based assessment and intervention approaches in clinical practice.