Antisaccade task performance in questionnaire-identified schizotypes

Abstract

Individuals who scored high on Perceptual Aberration–Magical Ideation Scales (Per–Mag; n=90), the Social Anhedonia Scale (SocAnh; n=39), and control participants ( n=89) were administered saccadic refixation (prosaccade) and saccadic suppression (antisaccade) tasks. Eye movements were scored in terms of error rates and latency. None of the groups differed in terms of their performance on the prosaccade task. Both the Per–Mag ( p<0.01) and SocAnh ( p<0.05) groups exceeded the controls in terms of mean antisaccade errors. The high-risk groups did not differ from each other. Eighteen of the Per–Mag individuals and 10 of the SocAnh individuals displayed deviant antisaccade performance. These findings are particularly interesting in light of suggestive evidence that antisaccade task deficits may serve as a marker of susceptibility to schizophrenia. It is hypothesized that the individuals who scored aberrantly on the Chapman scales and displayed antisaccade performance deficits are most likely to be at risk for the development of psychosis.