Patterns and clinical correlates of neuropsychologic deficits in patients with schizophrenia
Journal
Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Journal Volume
105
Journal Issue
12
Pages
978-991
Date Issued
2006
Author(s)
Abstract
Background/Purpose: Neuropsychologic deficits are prevalent among schizophrenic patients and are closely associated with pathogenesis and outcome. The pattern, extent, severity and contributing factors to such deficits remain to be examined in Taiwanese schizophrenic patients. Methods: A total of 122 schizophrenic patients and 94 healthy subjects for comparison were assessed by a comprehensive neuropsychologic test battery covering the eight cognitive domains of verbal ability, visual spatial ability, abstraction/execution, verbal memory, visual memory, perceptual/motor ability, mental control and attention. The relationships among cognitive deficits, demographic characteristics, clinical historical variables and clinical symptoms were further explored by multivariate regression analysis. Results: A pattern of selective deficits superimposed on a generalized deficit was found for schizophrenic patients as a group. The mean overall deficit was 1.93 standard deviations below the control mean, and abstraction/execution, verbal memory, visual memory and attention were relatively impaired among the eight cognitive domains. However, there was also marked heterogeneity in individual performances in that 24.2%, 46.2% and 29.5% of patients performed at within normal range, moderately impaired and severely impaired levels, respectively. Duration of illness substantially affected the profile and severity of the deficits, suggesting a progressive deteriorating course in neuropsychological performance. The major predictors of cognitive deficits were number of formal years of education achieved and concurrent severity of disorganization symptoms. Conclusion: In a large sample of schizophrenic patients who underwent comprehensive neuropsychologic evaluation, the current results confirmed that cognitive deficits were prevalent bur not a universal feature within schizophrenia. The selective impairment pattern also confirmed that such deficits were mainly in frontal and frontotemporal related functions. Despite evidence suggesting that disease chronicity entailed a decline in selective cognitive domains, the trajectory of the neuropsychologic deficits remains to be examined by further longitudinal studies. ? 2006 Elsevier & Formosan Medical Association.
Subjects
Disorganization symptom; Duration of illness; Neuropsychologic deficits; Schizophrenia
SDGs
Other Subjects
atypical antipsychotic agent; chlorpromazine; cholinergic receptor blocking agent; clozapine; neuroleptic agent; adult; article; attention deficit disorder; cognitive defect; controlled study; correlation analysis; disease association; disease course; disease duration; disease severity; disorientation; extrapyramidal symptom; female; frontal lobe; human; major clinical study; male; memory disorder; mental deterioration; motor performance; multivariate logistic regression analysis; neuropsychiatry; neuropsychological test; parkinsonism; pathogenesis; prevalence; schizophrenia; Taiwan; tardive dyskinesia; visual memory
Type
journal article
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
75.pdf
Size
168.5 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum
(MD5):5fb4e96468461e145bb31c62b8accf17