The Use of Visual Perceptual Tasks for Study of Cognitive Processes in Anankastic Personality Disorder and Pseudoneurotic Schizophrenia

Abstract

The aim of present research was to investigate the performance of visual perceptual tasks with varying the degree of uncertainty and levels of regulation prescribed by vague, verbal and non-verbal instructions. The modified Witkin test and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, a revised form (WAIS-R) were used. 36 anankastic personality disorder patients (mean age-31,9±9,8 years), 38 schizophrenic patients (pseudoneurotic type, mean age 30,8±8,7 years) and 100 healthy controls (mean age 27,5±8,5 years) were enrolled to the study. It was established that the effectiveness of the performance of visual perceptive tasks in conditions of vague instruction did not differ among the subjects of all three groups. The introduction of additional verbal instruction increased the performance of healthy subjects and patients with anankastic personality disorder, in contrast to patients with schizophrenia. In conditions of nonverbal instruction, the effectiveness of performing was reduced in clinical and control groups, but the parameters of healthy subjects were significantly higher (р≤0,05). It was found in schizophrenia an increase in the number and strength of the correlation between the indices of the performance of visual perceptual tasks and the non-verbal parameters of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

Keywords

• visual perceptual tasks
• the modified Witkin test
• personality disorders
• schizophrenia
• obsessive compulsive personality disorder
• pseudoneurotic schizophrenia