Bilateral Transfer of Inhibition in The Motor Learning of Schizophrenics and Normals

Abstract

Bilateral transfer of the effects of massed practice in motor learning was evaluated for an adjusted sample of 36 chronic undifferentiated schizophrenics and 36 normal controls. Ss were trained and tested on a rotary pursuit task under two bilateral transfer conditions—Rest and No-Rest— and one non-transfer Control condition. Normal Ss demonstrated positive reminiscence scores in the Rest condition and significant transfer of inhibitory effects in the No-Rest condition. Schizophrenics, on the other hand, showed no significant transfer of inhibition. The results were discussed as supporting the hypothesis of a proprioceptive deficit in schizophrenia involving central integrating mechanisms. Such findings also suggested that a proprioceptive deficit might be a significant underlying factor in the cognitive dysfunction and body image disturbances of schizophrenia, processes which also can be explained by impairment in central integrating mechanisms.