The functional significance of symptomatology and cognitive function in schizophrenia

• Published in: Schizophrenia research 1997-05, Vol.25 (1), p.21-31
• Main Authors: Velligan, Dawn I., Mahurin, Roderick K., Diamond, Pamela L., Hazleton, Bonnie C., Eckert, Stacey L., Miller, Alexander L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Activities of Daily Living - classification; Activities of Daily Living - psychology; Adaptive function; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Cognitive impairment; Delusions - diagnosis; Delusions - psychology; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - psychology; Female; Hallucinations - diagnosis; Hallucinations - psychology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Neurocognitive Disorders - diagnosis; Neurocognitive Disorders - psychology; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - statistics & numerical data; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Regression Analysis; Reproducibility of Results; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenic Psychology; Symptoms
• ISSN: 0920-9964; 1573-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/S0920-9964(97)00010-8

The relationships between positive and negative symptomatology, cognitive function, and the ability to perform basic activities of daily living in patients with schizophrenia were examined in two studies. In study 1, 112 medicated patients were assessed utilizing the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (positive symptoms), the Negative Symptom Assessment (negative symptoms and cognitive function), and the Functional Needs Assessment (activities of daily living). Study 2 ( n = 41 ), utilized the same measures of symptomatology and added a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Regression analyses in both studies determined that symptomatology predicts a relatively small amount of the variance in the ability to perform basic activities of daily living. Cognitive function, whether assessed with the Cognition subscale of the Negative Symptom Assessment or a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery, predicted over 40% of the variance in scores on the Functional Needs Assessment. A path model in which cognition predicted both concurrent symptomatology and activities of daily living and where symptomatology had little direct impact upon activities of daily living fit the data. The importance of addressing cognitive deficits in psychosocial intervention programs is discussed.