The factor structure of schizophrenia spectrum signs and symptoms in first-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients from the ucla family members study (original) (raw)

Selective attention was investigated in chronic schizophrenics and their first-degree relatives, classified as schizotypal and non-schizotypal according to DSM-III-R criteria, using two learning procedures. Latent Inhibition (LI) and the Kamin Blocking Effect (KBE). Based on previous findings, schizotypal relatives were predicted to show abolished LI and KBE, and the remaining groups, including a group of normal controls, intact effects. Although changes in the effect of preexposure in both procedures were observed in varying degrees in the clinical group, a surprising finding was a d~lay. in associative leamin~, regardless of diagnostic status, which IS not usually found m normal controls. Results suggest that membership of a schizophrenia-affected kin is associ~t~d~th reduce~~I and~E effects as well as with a deficit m simple associative learning, as compared to the usual performance of normal controls in the same procedures.