|
Operant conditioning of smooth
visual pursuit in schizophrenic subjects. Laurent Madelain, Jean-Claude Darcheville, Pierre Thomas, Christophe Debien Université de Lille, Ch. de Gaulle, France Visual smooth pursuit is a complex behaviour in which the eyes move at a speed that matches the one of the visual target. In schizophrenia, eye tracking disorders are commonly observed (Holzman, P.S., Proctor, L.R., & Hughes, D.W. ; 1973). They are characterised by a lower speed associated with high frequencies of saccadic movements. We have shown elsewhere that the smooth pursuit response is an operant behaviour since it is possible to enhance its rate in new-born infants, using a reinforcement procedure (Darcheville, J.-C., Madelain, L., Buquet, C., Charlier, J. , & Miossec, Y. ; 1999). Our results indicate that, by using a similar procedure in schizophrenia, we are able to enhance the subject's performance. This results are discussed within the conceptual framework of the non-linear dynamical systems theory which provides a mathematical model of these smooth pursuit dysfunctions (Huberman, B.A. ; 1981). More generally, the existing links between non-linear dynamical systems theory and operant behaviour theory are further explored (Ingvaldsen, R.P., & Whiting, H.T.A. ; 1997). Keywords: operant behaviour, smooth pursuit eye movements, dynamical systems, Schizophrenia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|