Impaired visuomotor function in schizophrenic patients compared with control subjects.

Visuomotor function was studied in 36 schizophrenic patients treated with atypical antipsychotics and in 22 control subjects. Patients showed significant disturbances in ability to control movement direction when tracing objects on screen and in keeping pace with a moving target in tracking tests. The impairments were not related to medication dose or to extrapyramidal side effects. Visuomotor impairment may be part of illness-related pathology in schizophrenia.