Do patients with schizophrenia exhibit aberrant salience?

• DOI: 10.1017/s0033291708003863
• Publication Date: 2008-06-30T09:29:33Z
• Authors: J. P. Roiser; K. E. Stephan; H. E. M. den Ouden; T. R. E. Barnes; K. J. Friston; E. M. Joyce
• Keywords: Salience (neuroscience); Anhedonia; Stimulus (psychology)

Background It has been suggested that some psychotic symptoms reflect ‘aberrant salience’, related to dysfunctional reward learning. To test this hypothesis we investigated whether patients with schizophrenia showed impaired learning of task-relevant stimulus–reinforcement associations in the presence distracting task-irrelevant cues. Method We tested 20 medicated and 17 controls on a reaction time game, Salience Attribution Test. In participants made speeded response earn money conditioned stimuli (CSs). Each CS comprised two visual dimensions, colour form. Probability reinforcement varied over one these dimensions (task-relevant), but not other (task-irrelevant). Measures adaptive aberrant motivational salience were calculated basis latency subjective probability rating differences respectively. Results Participants rated significantly more likely responded faster high-probability-reinforced relative low-probability-reinforced trials, representing salience. Patients exhibited reduced controls, groups did differ terms delusions greater than those without delusions, also correlated negative symptoms. ‘introvertive anhedonia’ schizotypy. Conclusions These data support is schizophrenia, are suggestive link The relationship between warrants further investigation unmedicated patients.