A Tartaglini | PubMed Health

PubMed2000

Quantitative characterization of eye tracking dysfunction in schizophrenia.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature of the processes that are involved in eye tracking dysfunction (ETD). We identified a combination of quantitative measures that best distinguished qualitatively normal eye tracking from qualitatively abnormal eye tracking, using discriminant analysis. Discriminant scores distinguished schizophrenics with ETD from both schizophrenics with normal eye tracking and normal controls, but did not distinguish schizophrenics with normal eye tracking from normal controls, underscoring the heterogeneity of schizophrenic patients with respect to eye tracking. The results of the discriminant analysis indicated that ETD is a multivariate process involving a primary impairment in the smooth pursuit system characterized by increased catch-up saccades and reduced gain, and, secondarily, disinhibition of intrusive saccades, especially square-wave jerks. Quantitative characterization of ETD makes it possible to consider eye tracking as a quantitative trait in genetic investigations of a multidimensional phenotype.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

The incidence of depressive symptomatology in juvenile sex offenders with a history of abuse.

Depressive symptomatology was assessed in a sample of 246 male juvenile sex offenders using the Beck Depression Inventory. Of these participants, the racial composition was black = 147, Hispanic = 62, Caucasian = 34. Three adolescents elected not to identify their racial origin. Subjects were divided according to their self-reports of having been sexually or physically abused. The mean Beck score across all subjects was 14.3, a value markedly higher than published norms and indicative of mild depression. Forty-two percent of subjects attained scores indicative of appreciable depressive symptomatology. A history of sexual or physical abuse was significantly related to high Beck scores; abused subjects had a mean Beck score of 16.4, as contrasted to 12.3 for nonabused subjects (Wilcoxon test: z = 2.82; p less than .005). This relationship was apparent across all racial groups. While Hispanic subjects tended to have higher Beck scores and Caucasians lower scores, racial differences were not statistically significant. Results indicate that juveniles who have committed sexual crimes, particularly those with a history of abuse, should be evaluated for depression.

Adolescent↗