Correlating smooth pursuit eye movement with cognitive and behavioural deficits associated with schizotypy (360G-Wellcome-211454_Z_18_Z)

Deficits in smooth pursuit eye movements (SPEM) reflect the most heritable endophenotype (behavioural manifestation of the underlying genetics linked to diseases pathology) of schizophrenia. In SPEM tasks, participants are instructed to follow a moving target with their eyes. Deficits in SPEM associated with schizophrenia (undershooting and poor initiation) are likely to be caused by an inability to accurately utilise incoming information about the target. These deficits correlate with symptom severity and with trait schizotypy. However, it is unclear how such an endophenotype relates to symptomology. Even when highlighting a link between the endophenotype and cognitive deficits, it remains unclear whether the endophenotype does relate to the entire symptomology of schizotypy or a cluster of symptoms. To address this question, we will correlate SPEM performance with a battery of well-established cognitive tests (measuring inhibition, attention, and working memory) as has been done with other endophenotypes. Furthermore, we will correlate SPEM performance and cognitive deficits with different subscales of schizotypy to establish whether SPEM is related to the global construct of schizotypy or specific clusters of symptoms.