Reduced Kamin blocking in non paranoid schizophrenia: associations with schizotypy

Kamin blocking (KB) is an attentional phenomenon whereby prior learning about a stimulus (A) retards learning about a new stimulus (B) when later presented in compound (AB) with the original stimulus A. KB has been shown to be reduced in patients with schizophrenia. Using Oades' KB paradigm it has been suggested that drug treatment may influence the expression of KB abnormalities in patients. It is therefore unclear whether Reduced KB are due to drug treatment or to the illness itself. One experimental approach that circumvents drug treatment confounds is to study schizotypal traits in healthy volunteers. In the present study we investigated KB using the Oades paradigm in 27 healthy volunteers and 21 schizophrenic patients. We additionally investigated the relationship between KB performance and measures of schizotypal traits and a number of factors relevant to the experience of schizophrenia using the O-LIFE questionnaire. Our results indicate first a clear negative relationship between general schizotypy and more specifically, Unusual experiences (UNEX) and cognitive disorganisation (COGDIS) and KB performance. This relationship was qualitatively and quantitatively similar in both healthy volunteers and schizophrenic patients. Second we have independently replicated reduced KB in non-paranoid patients and no change in KB in paranoid patients using the Oades KB task. This study also confirms that reduced KB in non-paranoid patients is confined to early test trials (3-4) while the negative relationships with schizotypy scales UNEX and COGDIS that we have found are also confined to these early test trials confirming the psychological relevance of this specificity.