ISSN : 1226-9654
Attentional functions are revealed to be impaired in individuals with schizophrenia. However, as attention is a multi-dimensional function, various studies have investigated different types of attentional deficits among patients with schizophrenia. The purpose of this review is to take a comprehensive look at evidence on distinctive aspects of attentional impairments in schizophrenia. Three different domains of attention are of interest in this review: Response inhibition, Selective attention and Conflict resolution, and Attentional shifts and Alerting networks. A number of studies with schizophrenia suggest that the selective attention and conflict resolution are most affected in those patients. The disengagement and attentional reorienting system also seems to be impaired in the patients. In this review, findings from behavior, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological studies are discussed to understand fundamental attentional deficits in patients with schizophrenia. The future direction of studies aiming to elucidate and treat those patients’ attentional mechanism is also discussed.
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