Schizophrenia, Eye Movements, and Biocultural Heterogeneity

Document Type

Article

Authors

John S. Allen, University of California, Berkeley
K. Matsunaga, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
T. Nakamura, Department of Psychology, University of the Ryukyus, Nakagusuku, Okinawa, Japan
F. Kitamura, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
T. Furukawa, Department of Psychology, University of the Ryukyus, Nakagusuku, Okinawa, Japan
S. S. Hacisalihzade, Institute of Automatic Control, Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule, Zurich, Switzerland; University of California, Berkeley
V. M. Sarich, University of California, Berkeley
L. Stark, University of California, Berkeley

Abstract

Smooth-pursuit eye-tracking dysfunction is a putative genetic trait marker for schizophrenia. In this study 88 Japanese schizophrenics from Kyushu and Okinawa were examined for the marker using precise high-resolution instrumentation: 76% of the schizophrenics from Kyushu and 89% of those from Okinawa had pursuit dysfunction. The presence of the culture-neutral smooth-pursuit marker for schizophrenia in Japan demonstrates that the etic concept “schizophrenia” is cross-culturally valid. Furthermore, the ubiquity of the marker in biologically and culturally diverse populations may indicate a limit on the extent of meaningful heterogeneity likely to be discovered within the condition.

Recommended Citation

Allen, John S.; Matsunaga, K.; Nakamura, T.; Kitamura, F.; Furukawa, T.; Hacisalihzade, S. S.; Sarich, V. M.; and Stark, L. (1990) "Schizophrenia, Eye Movements, and Biocultural Heterogeneity," Human Biology: Vol. 62: Iss. 3, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol62/iss3/2