Verbal self-monitoring in individuals with schizotypal personality traits: an exploratory ERP study

Lai-Quan Zou; Kui Wang; Chen Qu; Simon S Y Lui; David H K Shum; Eric F C Cheung; Raymond C K Chan

doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2014.06.004

Verbal self-monitoring in individuals with schizotypal personality traits: an exploratory ERP study

Asian J Psychiatr. 2014 Oct:11:53-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2014.06.004. Epub 2014 Jun 17.

Authors

Lai-Quan Zou¹, Kui Wang², Chen Qu³, Simon S Y Lui⁴, David H K Shum⁵, Eric F C Cheung⁶, Raymond C K Chan⁷

Affiliations

¹ Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
² Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
³ Psychology Research Center, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
⁴ Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
⁵ Behavioural Basis of Health Research Program, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
⁶ Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
⁷ Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: rckchan@psych.ac.cn.

PMID: 25453698
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2014.06.004

Abstract

Introduction: Individuals with schizophrenia have deficits in verbal self-monitoring. This study aimed to assess whether individuals vulnerable to develop schizophrenia show similar difficulties.

Methods: Fifteen individuals with schizotypal personality traits and 15 healthy controls participated. All participants underwent an event-related potential (ERP) paradigm using a phoneme monitoring Go/No-Go task.

Results: Behavioural results showed that there was no significant difference between individuals with schizotypal personality traits and controls in post-error slowing, but schizotypal individuals had a significantly lower degree of error awareness and higher error rate. In the ERP data, when compared with controls, individuals with schizotypal personality traits showed similar error-related negativity (ERN) amplitude but significantly larger error positivity (Pe) amplitude.

Conclusions: Results of this study suggest that verbal error detection may be intact in individuals with schizotypal personality traits. However, it seems that this vulnerable population may have a greater emotional evaluation of errors.

Keywords: Error positivity; Error-related negativity; Go/No-Go task; Schizotypal personality traits; Verbal self-monitoring.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Analysis of Variance
Awareness
Brain / physiopathology*
China
Electroencephalography / methods
Electrooculography / methods
Evoked Potentials*
Female
Humans
Male
Neuropsychological Tests / statistics & numerical data
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Reaction Time
Schizotypal Personality Disorder / physiopathology*
Verbal Behavior*
Young Adult