Background: Despite its inhibitory control requirements, antisaccade
deficits have been consistently associated with working memory impairments
in schizophrenia. We investigated whether variance in antisaccade
performance could be better accounted for in terms of a specific
inhibitory function. Method: We assessed 48 clinically stable out-patients
with schizophrenia on an antisaccade task, as well as on measures of
spatial and verbal working memory, sustained selective attention, and a
simple motoric go/no-go measure of response inhibition. Results: In a
stepwise multiple regression analysis, go/no-go task performance
accounted for a considerably greater percentage of variance in antisaccade
performance (25.3%) than either working memory (8.4%) or sustained
selective attention task (9.1%). Discussion: We conclude that antisaccade
deficits in schizophrenia appear to be better understood in terms of a
specific deficit of inhibitory control than in terms of more general
difficulties with context maintenance or goal neglect. (JINS,
2006, 12, 901–906.)