TY - JOUR
T1 - Visual attention in 7-year-old children at familial high risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder: The Danish high risk and resilience study VIA 7
AU - Hemager, Nicoline
AU - Vangkilde, Signe
AU - Thorup, Anne Amalie Elgaard
AU - Christiani, Camilla
AU - Ellersgaard, Ditte
AU - Spang, Katrine Soborg
AU - Burton, Birgitte Klee
AU - Greve, Aja Neergaard
AU - Gantriis, Ditte Lou
AU - Mors, Ole
AU - Jepsen, Jens Richardt Mollegaard
AU - Nordentoft, Merete
AU - Plessen, Kerstin Jessica
PY - 2019/11/1
Y1 - 2019/11/1
N2 - Background: Attention deficits are found in children at familial high risk of schizophrenia (FHR-SZ) and bipolar disorder (FHR-BP) using assessment methods relying on motor-based response latency. This study compares visual attention functions in children at FHR-SZ or FHR-BP with controls using an unspeeded task unconfounded by motor components. Methods: Visual attention was assessed in 133 7-year-old children at FHR-SZ (N = 56) or FHR-BP (N = 32), and controls (N = 45) using the unspeeded paradigm, TVA-based whole report. We compared four parameters of visual attention: visual processing speed, visual short-term memory, threshold for visual perception, and error rate. Further, we investigated their potential relationships with severity of psychopathology, adequacy of the home environment, and neurocognitive measures. Results: Children at FHR-SZ displayed significant deficits in perceptual processing speed of visual attention compared with controls (p <.001; d = 0.75) as did children at FHR-BP (p <.05; d = 0.54). Visual processing speed was significantly associated with spatial working memory (β = -0.23; t(68) = -3.34, p =.01) and psychomotor processing speed (β = 0.14, t(67) = 2.11, p <.05). Limitations: Larger group sizes would have permitted inclusion of more predictors in the search for neurocognitive and other factors associated with the parameters of TVA-based whole report. Conclusions: Young children at FHR-SZ and FHR-BP display significant deficits in processing speed of visual attention, which may reflect the effect of shared vulnerability risk genes. Early identification of children at FHR-SZ and FHR-BP with perceptual processing speed impairments may represent a low-cost basis for low-risk interventions.
AB - Background: Attention deficits are found in children at familial high risk of schizophrenia (FHR-SZ) and bipolar disorder (FHR-BP) using assessment methods relying on motor-based response latency. This study compares visual attention functions in children at FHR-SZ or FHR-BP with controls using an unspeeded task unconfounded by motor components. Methods: Visual attention was assessed in 133 7-year-old children at FHR-SZ (N = 56) or FHR-BP (N = 32), and controls (N = 45) using the unspeeded paradigm, TVA-based whole report. We compared four parameters of visual attention: visual processing speed, visual short-term memory, threshold for visual perception, and error rate. Further, we investigated their potential relationships with severity of psychopathology, adequacy of the home environment, and neurocognitive measures. Results: Children at FHR-SZ displayed significant deficits in perceptual processing speed of visual attention compared with controls (p <.001; d = 0.75) as did children at FHR-BP (p <.05; d = 0.54). Visual processing speed was significantly associated with spatial working memory (β = -0.23; t(68) = -3.34, p =.01) and psychomotor processing speed (β = 0.14, t(67) = 2.11, p <.05). Limitations: Larger group sizes would have permitted inclusion of more predictors in the search for neurocognitive and other factors associated with the parameters of TVA-based whole report. Conclusions: Young children at FHR-SZ and FHR-BP display significant deficits in processing speed of visual attention, which may reflect the effect of shared vulnerability risk genes. Early identification of children at FHR-SZ and FHR-BP with perceptual processing speed impairments may represent a low-cost basis for low-risk interventions.
KW - Bipolar disorder
KW - Schizophrenia
KW - Familial high risk
KW - Visual attention
U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2019.07.079
DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2019.07.079
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 31394459
SN - 0165-0327
VL - 258
SP - 56
EP - 65
JO - Journal of Affective Disorders
JF - Journal of Affective Disorders
ER -