Neuroscience 2003 Abstract
| Presentation Number: | 314.2 |
|---|---|
| Abstract Title: | Semantic priming in schizophrenia: evidence for reflexive but not voluntary priming. |
| Authors: |
Babin, S. L.*1
; Wassef, A. A.
; Briand, K. A.1
; Sereno, A. B.1
1NeuroBiol. & Anat., Univ. Texas Hlth. Sci. Ctr, Houston, TX |
| Primary Theme and Topics |
Cognition and Behavior - Human Cognition and Behavior -- Attention |
| Secondary Theme and Topics | Neurological and Psychiatric Conditions<br />- Psychiatric Disorders<br />-- Schizophrenia |
| Session: |
314. Schizophrenia: Pathophysiology Poster |
| Presentation Time: | Sunday, November 9, 2003 2:00 PM-3:00 PM |
| Location: | Morial Convention Center - Hall F-I, Board # SS10 |
| Keywords: | schizophrenia, semantic, priming, attention |
We were interested in the role that attention might play in disordered thought processes frequent in schizophrenia. Specifically, we wanted to examine the role of reflexive and voluntary attentional processes in the semantic domain by using a category-switching manipulation based on Neely’s 1977 work with normal subjects. Similar to an antisaccade task, he used this category-switching paradigm to separate semantic priming that would occur automatically for a related but unexpected word from semantic priming that would occur for a word from an expected but unrelated category.
We tested 19 schizophrenic patients (SzP) on a similar lexical decision task. Probe stimuli were either words from 1 of 2 categories (“Animal” or “Body Part”) or pronounceable nonwords. Prime stimuli were the words “Animal,” “Body Part,” or “Neutral”. SzP were told that when the prime word was “Animal” or “Body Part,” then 80% of the time, the following probe would be a word from the opposite category (i.e. Body Part or Animal, respectively). Probe words following the Neutral prime could be from either category equally. Using these categories and the same short (250ms) and long (2000ms) SOAs as Neely, we found that SzP are facilitated at the short SOA for related but unexpected words, demonstrating reflexive priming, and that they show no facilitation at the long SOA for unrelated but expected words, demonstrating a lack of voluntary priming (unlike Neely’s results). As well, we found facilitation at the long SOA for related words, whereas Neely found inhibition, suggesting SzP at the longer SOA fail to show inhibition and instead, continue to show reflexive priming. In sum, we found that SzP showed robust reflexive semantic priming but no evidence of voluntary priming.
We tested 19 schizophrenic patients (SzP) on a similar lexical decision task. Probe stimuli were either words from 1 of 2 categories (“Animal” or “Body Part”) or pronounceable nonwords. Prime stimuli were the words “Animal,” “Body Part,” or “Neutral”. SzP were told that when the prime word was “Animal” or “Body Part,” then 80% of the time, the following probe would be a word from the opposite category (i.e. Body Part or Animal, respectively). Probe words following the Neutral prime could be from either category equally. Using these categories and the same short (250ms) and long (2000ms) SOAs as Neely, we found that SzP are facilitated at the short SOA for related but unexpected words, demonstrating reflexive priming, and that they show no facilitation at the long SOA for unrelated but expected words, demonstrating a lack of voluntary priming (unlike Neely’s results). As well, we found facilitation at the long SOA for related words, whereas Neely found inhibition, suggesting SzP at the longer SOA fail to show inhibition and instead, continue to show reflexive priming. In sum, we found that SzP showed robust reflexive semantic priming but no evidence of voluntary priming.
Supported by J.S. McDonnell Foundation, NARSAD, and NIH (R01 MH63340 and R01 MH65492)
Sample Citation:
[Authors]. [Abstract Title]. Program No. XXX.XX. 2003 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. New Orleans, LA: Society for Neuroscience, 2003. Online.
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