Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2002 Nov-Dec;9(6):430-42.
doi: 10.1101/lm.49102.

Habit and skill learning in schizophrenia: evidence of normal striatal processing with abnormal cortical input

Thomas W Weickert  1 , Alejandro Terrazas, Llewellyn B Bigelow, James D Malley, Thomas Hyde, Michael F Egan, Daniel R Weinberger, Terry E Goldberg
Affiliations

Habit and skill learning in schizophrenia: evidence of normal striatal processing with abnormal cortical input

Thomas W Weickert et al. Learn Mem. 2002 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Different forms of nondeclarative learning involve regionally specific striatal circuits. The motor circuit (involving the putamen) has been associated with motor-skill learning and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) circuit (involving the caudate) has been associated with cognitive-habit learning. Efforts to differentiate functional striatal circuits within patient samples have been limited. Previous studies have provided mixed results regarding striatal-dependent nondeclarative learning deficits in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, a cognitive-habit learning task (probabilistic weather prediction) was used to assess the DLPFC circuit and a motor-skill learning task (pursuit rotor) was used to assess the motor circuit in 35 patients with schizophrenia and 35 normal controls. Patients with schizophrenia displayed significant performance differences from controls on both nondeclarative tasks; however, cognitive-habit learning rate in patients did not differ from controls. There were performance and learning-rate differences on the motor-skill learning task between the whole sample of patients and controls, however, analysis of a subset of patients and controls matched on general intellectual level eliminated learning rate differences between groups. The abnormal performance offset between patients with schizophrenia and controls in the absence of learning rate differences suggests that abnormal cortical processing provides altered input to normal striatal circuitry.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Cognitive–habit learning (weather prediction) task performance in whole sample of patients with schizophrenia (SC) and healthy control (NC) participants (n = 35). (B) Cognitive–habit learning (weather prediction) task performance in matched sample of patients with schizophrenia (SC) and healthy control (NC) participants (n = 14). (○) Patients; (□) controls; (±) standard error provided as measure of variance.
Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Cognitive–habit learning (weather prediction) task performance in whole sample of patients with schizophrenia (SC) and healthy control (NC) participants (n = 35). (B) Cognitive–habit learning (weather prediction) task performance in matched sample of patients with schizophrenia (SC) and healthy control (NC) participants (n = 14). (○) Patients; (□) controls; (±) standard error provided as measure of variance.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Motor–skill learning (pursuit rotor) task performance in whole sample of patients with schizophrenia (SC) and normal control (NC) participants (n = 35). (B) Motor–skill learning (pursuit rotor) task performance in matched sample of patients with schizophrenia (SC) and normal control (NC) participants (n = 14). (○) Patients; (□) controls; (±) standard error provided as measure of variance.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Motor–skill learning (pursuit rotor) task performance in whole sample of patients with schizophrenia (SC) and normal control (NC) participants (n = 35). (B) Motor–skill learning (pursuit rotor) task performance in matched sample of patients with schizophrenia (SC) and normal control (NC) participants (n = 14). (○) Patients; (□) controls; (±) standard error provided as measure of variance.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Screen layout for the cognitive–habit learning (weather prediction) task.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alexander GE, DeLong MR, Strick PL. Parallel organization of functionally segregated circuits linking basal ganglia and cortex. Annu Rev Neurosci. 1986;9:357–381. - PubMed
    1. Aosaki T, Graybiel AM, Kimura M. Effect of the nigrostriatal dopamine system on acquired neural responses in the striatum of behaving monkeys. Science. 1994;265:412–415. - PubMed
    1. Bailey CH, Kandel ER. Molecular and structural mechanisms underlying long-term memory. Cambridge, MA: MIT; 1997.
    1. Ballard J. Computerized assessment of sustained attention: A review of factors affecting vigilance performance. J Clin Exper Neuropsychol. 1996;18:843–863. - PubMed
    1. Bechara A, Tranel D, Damasio H, Adolphs R, Rockland C, Damasio AR. Double dissociation of conditioning and declarative knowledge relative to the amygdala and hippocampus in humans. Science. 1995;269:1115–1118. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources