TY - JOUR

T1 - Spatial and non-spatial feature binding impairments in visual working memory in schizophrenia.

AU - Belekou, Antigoni

AU - Katshu, Mohammad Zia Ul

AU - Dundon, Neil

AU - d'Avossa, Giovanni

AU - Smyrnis, Nikolaos

PY - 2023/6

Y1 - 2023/6

N2 - Working memory (WM) impairments are well recognized in schizophrenia patients (PSZ) and contribute to poor psycho-social outcomes in this population. Distinct neural networks underlay the ability to encode and recall visual and spatial information raising the possibility that profile of visual working memory performance may help pinpoint dysfunctional neural correlates in schizophrenia. This study assessed the resolution and associative aspects of visual working memory deficits in schizophrenia and whether these deficits arise during encoding or maintenance processes. A total of 60 participants (30 PSZ and 30 healthy controls) matched in age, gender and education assessed on a modified object in place (OiPT), a delayed non-match-to-sample (DNMST) and a delayed spatial estimation (DSET) task. Patients demonstrated lower accuracy than controls in binding visual features of the same object and recognizing novel objects as well as lower precision recalling the location of a memorized target. Moreover, response choice set size affected recognition accuracy more in PSZ than controls. However, delay duration affected spatial recall precisions, binding, and recognition accuracy equally in the two groups. Our results suggest that visual working memory (vWM) impairments in schizophrenia predominantly reflect spatial and non-spatial binding deficits, with largely preserved discrete feature information. Moreover, these impairments likely arise more during encoding than during maintenance. These binding deficits may reflect impaired effective neural functional connectivity observed in schizophrenia.

AB - Working memory (WM) impairments are well recognized in schizophrenia patients (PSZ) and contribute to poor psycho-social outcomes in this population. Distinct neural networks underlay the ability to encode and recall visual and spatial information raising the possibility that profile of visual working memory performance may help pinpoint dysfunctional neural correlates in schizophrenia. This study assessed the resolution and associative aspects of visual working memory deficits in schizophrenia and whether these deficits arise during encoding or maintenance processes. A total of 60 participants (30 PSZ and 30 healthy controls) matched in age, gender and education assessed on a modified object in place (OiPT), a delayed non-match-to-sample (DNMST) and a delayed spatial estimation (DSET) task. Patients demonstrated lower accuracy than controls in binding visual features of the same object and recognizing novel objects as well as lower precision recalling the location of a memorized target. Moreover, response choice set size affected recognition accuracy more in PSZ than controls. However, delay duration affected spatial recall precisions, binding, and recognition accuracy equally in the two groups. Our results suggest that visual working memory (vWM) impairments in schizophrenia predominantly reflect spatial and non-spatial binding deficits, with largely preserved discrete feature information. Moreover, these impairments likely arise more during encoding than during maintenance. These binding deficits may reflect impaired effective neural functional connectivity observed in schizophrenia.

KW - Schizophrenia

KW - Neurocognitive deficits

KW - Binding

KW - Visual working memory

U2 - 10.1016/j.scog.2023.100281

DO - 10.1016/j.scog.2023.100281

M3 - Article

VL - 32

JO - Schizophrenia Research: Cognition

JF - Schizophrenia Research: Cognition

SN - 2215-0013

M1 - 100281

ER -