Perceptual organization in schizophrenia: Plasticity and state-related change

Steven M. Silverstein; Brian P. Keane

doi:10.1556/lp.1.2009.2.111

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Learning & Perception

Volume/Issue:: Volume 1: Issue 2

Perceptual organization in schizophrenia: Plasticity and state-related change

Authors:

Steven M. Silverstein

Steven M. Silverstein University Behavioral HealthCare, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, USA
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, USA
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 151 Centennial Avenue, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA

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Brian P. Keane

Brian P. Keane University Behavioral HealthCare, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, USA
Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

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Pages:: 229–261

Online Publication Date:: 01 Dec 2009

Publication Date:: 01 Dec 2009

Article Category:: Journal Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1556/lp.1.2009.2.111

Keywords:: schizophrenia; perceptual organization; contour integration; perceptual learning; plasticity

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Abstract

Perceptual organization (PO) impairments have been repeatedly demonstrated in schizophrenia. The extent to which these impairments can be reduced or eliminated, however, has received less attention, and evidence on this issue has not been previously reviewed. The literature suggests that whether normal experience-dependent change in perceptual organization occurs in schizophrenia depends on factors such as: stimulus grouping strength, extent of practice, type of cues upon which top-down feedback can be generated, and patient characteristics (trait and state). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize the available evidence on plasticity and other forms of change in PO in schizophrenia, and to relate it to current data and theories on plasticity, including perceptual learning (PL) in healthy people. This can clarify the computational and neural mechanisms involved in experience-dependent and state-related aspects of PO in schizophrenia, and also contribute to a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved in normal PL. A major finding that emerges from a review of the data is that the conditions under which PL of PO does not occur in schizophrenia closely parallel the conditions under which PO is reduced in a single test administration. That is, when stimulus-driven cues to grouping are strong, PL of PO occurs in patients; in contrast, when top-down feedback is required to organize novel or weakly grouped stimuli, PL of PO tends not to occur in patients. Moreover, even with strongly grouping stimuli, change tends to occur only via repetition; when processing of more abstract cues is required to generate top-down feedback, change tends not to occur. In addition, within-session PL in people with schizophrenia appears to be more impaired than learning over multiple days, supporting the separability of fast and slow plasticity mechanisms; however, more research with a larger class of stimuli is needed on this issue.

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Learning & Perception

Print ISSN:: 1789-3186

Online ISSN:: 2060-9175

Learning & Perception
Language	English
Size
Year of Foundation	2009
Publication Programme	ceased
Volumes per Year
Issues per Year
Publisher	Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible Publisher	Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN	1789-3186 (Print)
ISSN	2060-9175 (Online)