Cerebellar functional abnormalities in schizophrenia are suggested by classical eyeblink conditioning

L L Sears; N C Andreasen; D S O'Leary

doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(00)00247-X

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Cerebellar functional abnormalities in schizophrenia are suggested by classical eyeblink conditioning

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Cerebellar functional abnormalities in schizophrenia are suggested by classical eyeblink conditioning

L L Sears, N C Andreasen and D S O'Leary

Biological psychiatry (1969), Vol.48(3), pp.204-209

08/01/2000

DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3223(00)00247-X

PMID: 10924663

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Abstract

Previous research suggests that schizophrenia may result from disruptions in a cortico-cerebellar-thalamic-cortical circuit (CCTCC) producing a mental incoordination or "cognitive dysmetria." To further evaluate the cerebellar contribution to this disrupted circuitry, medication-free patients with schizophrenia completed classical eyeblink conditioning, a cerebellar-mediated learning task. For classical eyeblink conditioning, 70 trials with a tone conditioned stimulus (CS) and air puff unconditioned stimulus (US) were presented to 15 patients with schizophrenia and 15 healthy control subjects. Acquisition rate for the conditioned response (CR) and response timing were compared between the two groups. Patients with schizophrenia displayed facilitated conditioning compared to control subjects based on a greater number of CRs during the session and a faster acquisition of the learned response. Facilitated conditioning suggests that an enhanced excitability in the cerebellum occurs as part of a disrupted CCTCC in schizophrenia. The enhanced cerebellar-mediated associative learning may be maladaptive in the context of normal cerebro-cerebellar interactions, leading to the characteristic motor and mental incoordination of the disorder. Classical eyeblink conditioning may provide a useful model system for studying cerebellar involvement in the pathogenesis and treatment of schizophrenia.

Severity of Illness Index

Cerebellar Diseases - diagnosis

Humans

Middle Aged

Male

Schizophrenia - complications

Conditioning, Classical - physiology

Association Learning - physiology

Blinking - physiology

Neuropsychological Tests

Cerebellar Diseases - complications

Cerebellar Diseases - physiopathology

Time Factors

Adult

Female

Details

Title: Subtitle: Cerebellar functional abnormalities in schizophrenia are suggested by classical eyeblink conditioning
Creators: L L Sears - Mental Health Clinical Research Center, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA
N C Andreasen
D S O'Leary
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Biological psychiatry (1969), Vol.48(3), pp.204-209
Publisher: United States
DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3223(00)00247-X
PMID: 10924663
ISSN: 0006-3223
eISSN: 1873-2402
Grant note: MH-31593 / NIMH NIH HHS MH-40856 / NIMH NIH HHS MH-43271 / NIMH NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 08/01/2000
Academic Unit: Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984004185502771

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