| Abstract: | In order to determine the specificity of smooth-pursuit eye tracking dysfunction to schizophrenia (SC) and the prevalences of dysfunction among functionally psychotic and normal individuals, the authors investigated pursuit tracking in a large sample of psychotic patients, normal Ss, and 1st-degree relatives (N?=?482). Ss were recruited as part of an epidemiological study of 1st-episode psychosis that used a broadly based referral network to identify all cases in a major metropolitan area over a 2.5-yr period. Ss received diagnoses of SC, schizophreniform disorder, psychotic mood disorder, and paranoid or other psychotic disorder based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). The distribution of tracking performance was bimodal for the SC Ss and their relatives, perhaps reflecting major gene action. Moreover, poor tracking ran in families. Pursuit tracking dysfunction was relatively specific to SC Ss and their relatives and occurred infrequently in other psychotic Ss and normal Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
