People with neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia often display deficits in spatial working memory and attention. Evaluating working memory and attention in schizophrenia patients is usually based on traditional tasks and the interviewer’s judgment. We developed a simple Spatial Working Memory and Attention Test on Paired Symbols (SWAPS). It takes only several minutes to complete, comprising 101 trials for each subject. In this study, we tested 72 schizophrenia patients and 188 healthy volunteers in China. In a healthy control group with ages ranging from 12 to 60, the efficiency score (accuracy divided by reaction time) reached a peak in the 20–27 age range and then declined with increasing age. Importantly, schizophrenia patients failed to display this developmental trend in the same age range and adults had significant deficits compared to the control group. Our data suggests that this simple Spatial Working Memory and Attention Test on Paired Symbols can be a useful tool for studies of spatial working memory and attention in neuropsychiatric disorders. 1. Introduction Studies have shown working memory [1–3] and attention [4, 5] deficits in individuals with schizophrenia. Working memory is a temporary storage facility that lasts for only seconds, accessible to conscious attention. It is fundamentally important as it underpins capacity for complex thought [6]. The visuospatial sketchpad theory proposes that the visual and spatial impression of a limited number of objects is temporarily stored, manipulated, and allows subselections to be created through the focus of attention [7]. Attention is the cognitive process of selecting some elements, from an environment (real or otherwise) while ignoring other elements and it is a precondition for exercising working memory. It determines what enters into working memory, and shifting attention can disrupt the contents of working memory. When presented with a shorter stimulus, the stimuli’s entrance into working memory may be less complete [8]. Currently, tests for working memory include the n-back task [9] which is a continuous performance task commonly used to measure a part of working memory [10], the Sternberg Item Recognition Paradigm [11, 12], the Visual Patterns Test [13], the Spatial Working Memory task (SPWM) [14], and others [15–18]. Existing tests for attention include the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) [19, 20] and the Sustained Attention Test [21]. Some existing tests require extended periods of time to complete or require verbal knowledge, which may impede the subject’s ability to
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