Identification of abnormal patterns in eye movements of schizophrenic patients

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1982 Oct;39(10):1125-30. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1982.04290100005002.

Abstract

Using precise infrared recording instrumentation, we measured the eye-movement patterns in six schizophrenic patients who were taking medication and found saccadic intrusions and saccadic smooth-pursuit tracking in three. This defined some of the eye-movement irregularities reported previously by many investigators. A variety of eye-movement functions in addition to smooth pursuit exhibited these abnormalities, including fixation, vergence, and head-eye pursuit. Saccadic intrusions or saccadic pursuit also occurs in a number of neuro-ophthalmologic disorders, and occasionally in healthy normal subjects. Thus, these eye-movement abnormalities do not occur exclusively in schizophrenia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Electrooculography
  • Eye Movements*
  • Fixation, Ocular
  • Form Perception
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Humans
  • Infrared Rays
  • Schizophrenia / diagnosis
  • Schizophrenia / drug therapy
  • Schizophrenia / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents