External cues improve visual working memory encoding in the presence of salient distractors in schizophrenia

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that control of attentional selection is impaired in schizophrenia. We demonstrate that additional top-down information significantly improves performance in PSZ. The observed deficit in attentional control suggests a disturbance of GABAergic inhibition in early visual areas. Moreover, our findings are indicative of a mechanism for enhancing attentional control in PSZ, which could be utilized by pro-cognitive interventions. Thus, the current paradigm is suitable to reveal both preserved and compromised cognitive component processes in schizophrenia.PMID:38436135 | DOI:10.1017/S0033291724000059

Source: Psychological Medicine - March 4, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Catherine V Barnes-Scheufler Lara R ösler Michael Schaum Carmen Schiweck Benjamin Peters Jutta S Mayer Andreas Reif Michael Wibral Robert A Bittner Source Type: research