Relationships between Psychotic Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Schizophrenic Patients

Yi, Min Young; Kim, Hongkeun

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between psychotic symptoms and cognitive functions in schizophrenia.
METHODS
The study group was composed of 36 schizophrenic patients. Positive, negative, and disorganization symptoms were assessed using the PANSS. Verbal, visuospatial, attention, memory, and executive functions were assessed using a battery of cognitive tests.
RESULTS
Correlation analysis between symptom vs. cognitive measures showed that (a) positive symptoms were significantly correlated with no cognitive measures, (b) negative symptoms were significantly correlated with all cognitive measures, and (c) disorganization symptoms were significantly correlated with executive and memory measures. Correlation analyses between symptom vs. cognitive factors showed that negative-disorganization factor is significantly correlated with executive-memory factor.
CONCLUSION
Significant relationships were confined mostly to frontal symptoms vs. frontal cognitive functions. Thus, the relationships may be mediated mainly by variations in severity of frontal pathology among patients.