Deficits in the endogenous redirection of covert visual attention in chronic schizophrenia

Abstract

In patients with schizophrenia, abnormal performance on the antisaccade task suggests that for overt attentional shifts, there is difficulty with the endogenous control of exogenous orienting when endogenous and exogenous modes have opposite goals. We examined whether patients with schizophrenia also have difficulty with the endogenous control of exogenous orienting for covert shifts of attention. Fifteen medicated patients with chronic schizophrenia and 15 matched controls performed two versions of the covert orienting of attention task (COVAT). On one COVAT, targets appeared at the cued location (TAG) on all trials. On the second COVAT, targets appeared at the contralateral location to the..