Affective priming in paranoid schizophrenia treated with olanzapine or risperidone

Abstract

Introduction:

The phenomenon of the deficit of the inhibitory reaction to the latter of two stimuli presented to the patient with schizophrenia may result in a stronger affective priming effect in the case of schizophrenia patients. This effect may be defined as the change in reaction time needed to respond to an experimental stimulus, due to the characteristics of another stimulus preceding it.

Participants

33 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia took part in the experiment. At the time of testing, all patients were being treated with atypical neuroleptics. The results of the experimental group were compared to the results of a control group, which consisted of healthy participants, and matched the experimental group according to sex and age.

Method:

All participants completed a handedness test. For mood assessment, The Profile of Mood State was administered. The experimental task consisted of pairs of words which appeared on a computer screen. The participant was then asked to react to the latter word on the screen and categorize it as either positive or negative.

Results:

A supraliminal affective priming effect was observed both in the experimental and the control group. (bigger effect in the experimental group). Patients with schizophrenia were more depressive than healthy participants. The priming effect in the experimental group was stronger for negative than for positive stimuli. In the group of patients treated with risperidon, the priming effect was statistically significant only for negative stimuli.