TY - JOUR
T1 - Deficits in Auditory and Visual Sensory Discrimination Reflect a Genetic Liability for Psychosis and Predict Disruptions in Global Cognitive Functioning
AU - Ramsay, Ian S.
AU - Schallmo, Michael Paul
AU - Biagianti, Bruno
AU - Fisher, Melissa
AU - Vinogradov, Sophia
AU - Sponheim, Scott R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2020 Ramsay, Schallmo, Biagianti, Fisher, Vinogradov and Sponheim.
PY - 2020/7/7
Y1 - 2020/7/7
N2 - Sensory discrimination thresholds (i.e., the briefest stimulus that can be accurately perceived) can be measured using tablet-based auditory and visual sweep paradigms. These basic sensory functions have been found to be diminished in patients with psychosis. However, the extent to which worse sensory discrimination characterizes genetic liability for psychosis, and whether it is related to clinical symptomatology and community functioning remains unknown. In the current study we compared patients with psychosis (PSY; N=76), their first-degree biological relatives (REL; N=44), and groups of healthy controls (CON; N=13 auditory and visual/N=275 auditory/N=267 visual) on measures of auditory and visual sensory discrimination, and examined relationships with a battery of symptom, cognitive, and functioning measures. Sound sweep thresholds differed among the PSY, REL, and CON groups, driven by higher thresholds in the PSY compared to CON group, with the REL group showing intermediate thresholds. Visual thresholds also differed among the three groups, driven by higher thresholds in the REL versus CON group, and no significant differences between the REL and PSY groups. Across groups and among patients, higher thresholds (poorer discrimination) for both sound and visual sweeps strongly correlated with lower global cognitive scores. We conclude that low-level auditory and visual sensory discrimination deficits in psychosis may reflect genetic liability for psychotic illness. Critically, these deficits relate to global cognitive disruptions that are a hallmark of psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia.
AB - Sensory discrimination thresholds (i.e., the briefest stimulus that can be accurately perceived) can be measured using tablet-based auditory and visual sweep paradigms. These basic sensory functions have been found to be diminished in patients with psychosis. However, the extent to which worse sensory discrimination characterizes genetic liability for psychosis, and whether it is related to clinical symptomatology and community functioning remains unknown. In the current study we compared patients with psychosis (PSY; N=76), their first-degree biological relatives (REL; N=44), and groups of healthy controls (CON; N=13 auditory and visual/N=275 auditory/N=267 visual) on measures of auditory and visual sensory discrimination, and examined relationships with a battery of symptom, cognitive, and functioning measures. Sound sweep thresholds differed among the PSY, REL, and CON groups, driven by higher thresholds in the PSY compared to CON group, with the REL group showing intermediate thresholds. Visual thresholds also differed among the three groups, driven by higher thresholds in the REL versus CON group, and no significant differences between the REL and PSY groups. Across groups and among patients, higher thresholds (poorer discrimination) for both sound and visual sweeps strongly correlated with lower global cognitive scores. We conclude that low-level auditory and visual sensory discrimination deficits in psychosis may reflect genetic liability for psychotic illness. Critically, these deficits relate to global cognitive disruptions that are a hallmark of psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia.
KW - auditory perception
KW - endophenotype
KW - global cognition
KW - psychosis
KW - sensory discrimination
KW - visual perception
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088466656&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85088466656&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00638
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00638
M3 - Article
C2 - 32733293
AN - SCOPUS:85088466656
SN - 1664-0640
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry
M1 - 638
ER -