Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
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Neuropsychopharmacology · Apr 1998
Clinical TrialPsychobiological heterogeneity of familial and sporadic schizophrenia.
Although schizophrenia is presumed to be heterogeneous, there has been limited success distinguishing familial from sporadic cases. We used psychobiological measures to examine heterogeneity, as they may be closer to neurobiology than symptoms. Smooth pursuit eye movement quality (SPEM) and dichotic listening (DL) tests to tones and words were used to assess hemispheric laterality asymmetry. ⋯ SPEM was affected most in sporadic, not familial schizophrenia, whereas dichotic listening was most affected in familial schizophrenia. This double dissociation supports the utility of the familial/sporadic distinction and suggests that etiological factors in different forms of schizophrenia may impact principally on distinct neurobiological substrates, despite similar patient phenomenology.