Neuropsychological correlates of symptom profiles in first episode schizophrenia

This paper aimed to examine the relationship between the trichotomous symptom structure of psychopathology and neuropsychological functioning in young people with first episode schizophrenia (FES), most of whom were receiving atypical antipsychotic medication. This was with a view to providing insig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Schizophrenia research 2004-12, Vol.71 (2), p.323-330
Main Authors: Lucas, Sara, Fitzgerald, Dianne, Redoblado-Hodge, M.Antoinette, Anderson, Josephine, Sanbrook, Mark, Harris, Anthony, Brennan, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition Disorders - diagnosis
Cognition Disorders - etiology
Depression - diagnosis
Depression - etiology
Disorganisation
Female
First episode schizophrenia
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Neuropsychological Tests
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychomotor Poverty
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychoses
Reality Distortion
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - complications
Severity of Illness Index
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:This paper aimed to examine the relationship between the trichotomous symptom structure of psychopathology and neuropsychological functioning in young people with first episode schizophrenia (FES), most of whom were receiving atypical antipsychotic medication. This was with a view to providing insight into the underlying pathophysiology of the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia. Fifty-three young people (aged 13–25 years) with FES participated in the study. Subjects completed a comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological examination. Cognitive domain scores were correlated with composite scores relating to Disorganisation, Psychomotor Poverty and Reality Distortion. A significant association was identified between Disorganisation and Verbal Acquisition, Verbal Recall and Cognitive Flexibility. There were no significant associations between cognitive domains and either Reality Distortion or Psychomotor Poverty, nor with measures of depressive symptomatology. The present study provides preliminary evidence that symptoms associated with the Disorganisation factor are significantly associated with cognitive deficits suggesting impaired frontal–temporal functioning. Differences between the current findings and those of similar research may reflect the effects of different medication regimes, as well as the absence of illness chronicity.
ISSN:0920-9964
1573-2509
DOI:10.1016/j.schres.2004.03.006