Cognitive Function and Its Clinical Significance in Schizophrenic Patients

Jang, Giu Ho; Lee, Chul; Cho, Hee Soo; Lee, Chang Uk; Paik, In Ho

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study was designed to evaluate the cognitive function in schizophrenic pathents. We also examined the correlation of cognitive imparirment with other clinical variables.
METHODS
A total of 25 partients and 19 normal controls completed Vienna Test System, a computerized neuropsychological test. These included Cognitrons test, continuous attention test, standard progressive matrices. We separately assessed the patient group on the positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS) and Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale(EPS scale). The other clinical variables included in this study were age, sex, education level, disease duration, clinical subtype, medication state and genetic factor.
RESULTS
Schizophrenic patients had poorer performance than normal controls on the tests of cognitrone, continous attention, and stand progressive matirces, independent of sex, genetic factors, EPS scale scores, PANSS scores, disease duration. The cognitive impairment in schizophrenics was mainly associated with their education levels and clinical subtypes.
CONCLUSION
Inlight of our results, it seemd that some schizophrenics perform poorly on cognitive tsasks, and this poor performance may be associated with education levels and clinical subtypes. The more careful evaluation of cognitive function in schizophrenic patients would be needed for their proper management.