Abstract
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that abnormal smooth pursuit eye movements in schizophrenic patients would be related to cerebral glucose utilization in specific oculomotor regions. Eye movements were assessed with infrared oculography in 11 unmedicated schizophrenic patients and 13 normal comparison subjects. For the patients only, regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose utilization was measured with positron emission tomography. Abnormal pursuit tracking in the patients was associated with relatively decreased metabolism in the frontal eye fields and increased metabolism in the caudate nuclei. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that these cerebral regions are involved in the pathophysiology of abnormal pursuit as related parts of a cortical-subcortical oculomotor circuit.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Blood Glucose / metabolism*
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Brain / diagnostic imaging*
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Brain / physiopathology
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Brain Mapping
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Caudate Nucleus / diagnostic imaging
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Caudate Nucleus / physiopathology
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Dominance, Cerebral / physiology
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Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / diagnostic imaging
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Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / physiopathology
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Female
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Frontal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
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Frontal Lobe / physiopathology
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Humans
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Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Oculomotor Nerve / diagnostic imaging*
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Oculomotor Nerve / physiopathology
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Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
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Pursuit, Smooth / physiology*
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Reference Values
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Schizophrenia / diagnostic imaging*
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Schizophrenia / physiopathology
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Schizophrenic Psychology*
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Thalamic Nuclei / diagnostic imaging
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Thalamic Nuclei / physiopathology
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Tomography, Emission-Computed*
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Visual Cortex / diagnostic imaging
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Visual Cortex / physiopathology