MEDICATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOMATIC INFORMATION-PROCESSING IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Medicated and unmedicated schizophrenic patients and normal subjects (n's = 4) were examined on the extent to which their information-processing performance became automated over time, as reflected by increased competence in dual task performance. The central task was a computerized version of the Continuous Performance Test, and the secondary task was a wordlist shadowing task. Normal subjects and medicated schizophrenic patients became much more efficient at performing both tasks simultaneously with practice, with unmedicated patients showing no improvement over time. © 1990.