BACKGROUND: Smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM) dysfunction is considered to be a promising candidate for a biological marker for genetic vulnerability to @entity161 . There are conflicting findings regarding the question of what is exactly dysfunctional in SPEM dysfunction and what component of eye movements is really specific to @entity161 . The purpose of the current study was to help to clarify the nature of (SPEM) dysfunction and its specificity to @entity161 . METHODS: Smooth pursuit eye movements of 43 @entity161 @entity1 , 34 @entity1 with major @entity308 and 42 normal controls were examined using high resolution infrared oculography. These groups were compared on several indices of oculomotor functioning (gain, different saccadic categories). RESULTS: Schizophrenics had a significantly higher catch-up saccade rate than @entity308 @entity1 and normals. The percentage of subjects with an abnormally high catch-up saccade rate defined as beyond the mean plus 2 S.D. of the normal control group was significantly higher in schizophrenics (27.9%) than in @entity308 @entity1 (8.8%) and normal controls (0%). @entity258 and higher numbers of intrusive saccades tended to be more prevalent in both @entity1 groups but did not distinguish schizophrenics from @entity308 @entity1 . CONCLUSIONS: @entity258 and high rates of intrusive saccades contribute to SPEM dysfunction in major @entity308 . Abnormally high rates of catch-up saccades seem to be the oculomotor component in smooth pursuit, that is specific to @entity161 .

Smooth pursuit eye movements in XXXX and affective disorder.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['depressed', 'depression'] @entity161 :: ('MESH:D012559', 'Disease') :: ['schizophrenia', 'schizophrenic'] @entity258 :: ('MESH:D009800', 'Disease') :: ['Low gain']
@entity161 :: (MESH:D012559,Disease) :: ['schizophrenia']
