Visual backward masking deficits in schizotypy

In visual backward masking, a briefly presented target is followed by a mask, which impairs target discrimination. Backward masking is strongly impaired in schizophrenic patients and their unaffected relatives. We found that masking deficits correlated well with a mutation (SNP) related to the cholinergic nicotinic receptor alpha 7 subunit and strongly reduced amplitudes in the EEG (Bakanidze et al., 2013; Plomp et al., 2013). This is why visual masking is a potential endophenotype of schizophrenia. Here we tested the brain activity during this task in 24 healthy students with high (N=12) and low scores (N=12) in self-reported cognitive disorganization, one of the three schizotypy dimensions.