T118. ATTENTIONAL ORIENTING TO SOCIAL AND NONSOCIAL CUES IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. (9th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Catalano, Lauren; Szewczyk, Warren; Ghazarian, Sydney; Lopez, James; Greeen, Michael; Lee, Junghee
• Is Part Of: Schizophrenia bulletin. Volume 45(2019)Supplement 2
• Page Start: S249
• Page End: S250
• Publication Date: 2019-04-09
• Subjects: Schizophrenia -- Periodicals; Schizophrenia -- Research -- Periodicals; 616.898005
• DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbz019.398
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0586-7614

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Humans reflexively orient attention towards the gaze of others. Social orienting is thought to be important for efficient social functioning, but little is known about social orienting in schizophrenia. Here, we examine attentional orienting to social and nonsocial directional cues at multiple time intervals between cues and targets. Methods: Twenty-one outpatients with schizophrenia and 20 demographically matched community controls performed a spatial cueing task with nonsocial cues (arrows) and social cues (eye gaze). After each cue, subjects were asked to identify the location of a target presented on the right or left side of the screen. Targets occurred in the same location as the directed cue (valid) or in the opposite location as the directed cue (invalid). Cue-to-target stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) were presented at 0, 100, 200, and 600 ms. Results: 2 (Group: SZ, HC) x 2 (Cue Type: social, nonsocial) x 4 (SOA) x 2 (Validity) repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted with log-transformed median RTs as the dependent variable. Analyses revealed a significant main effect of SOA (F 3, 117 = 33.798, p < .001, ηp2 = .464), with slower RTs during the 0 ms SOA compared with all other SOAs. There was also a main effect of Validity (F 1, 39 = 46.991, p < .001, ηp2 = .546), which was qualified by a significant Validity x Cue Type interaction effect, (F 1, 39 = 5.049, p = .030, ηp2 = .115). Pairwise comparisons revealed that subjects responded faster to the validly cued target than invalidly cued targets, and this facilitation effect was greater for nonsocial cues than social cues. There was also a significant SOA x Validity interaction effect, (F 1, 39 = 3.692, p = .020, ηp2 = .086). Pairwise comparisons revealed that subjects responded faster to the validly cued targets than invalidly cued targets, and this facilitation effect was greater for shorter SOAs than longer SOAs. No interaction effects involving group was found. Discussion: All subjects exhibited a facilitation effect, such that attentional orienting resulted in a quicker behavioral response, and this effect was stronger for nonsocial cues than social cues. Compared with healthy subjects, schizophrenia patients demonstrated intact attentional orienting to social and nonsocial cue types at different SOAs. Our data provide evidence of intact orienting to social cues in schizophrenia.