EVALUATION OF CORRELATIONS BETWEEN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCES AND CLINICAL DIMENSIONS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.sidebar##

Published Dec 4, 2009
Download
pdf
Vol. 87 No. 10 (2009): Issue Oct 2009

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.main##

I Johnson
O.Ben azouz
O Kebir
L Dellagi
I Amado
K. Tabbane

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is characterised by positive and negative symptoms as well as thought disorders and disorganised behaviour. Multiple cognitive deficits within the areas of memory, attention and executive functions are also associated with schizophrenia. Aim of the study was to proceed to a study of correlations between clinical dimensions of schizophrenia and cognitive functions.
Methods: The authors recruited 105 patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders (DSM IV criteria). The patients were clinically stabilised, showing no depressive state at the time of the study, with no organic brain disorders and no history of drug intake. They were clinically evaluated using the PANSS and the
Calgary Depression Scale. Acognitive battery was also administered.
Results: Positive dimension of schizophrenia was shown to be independent from any cognitive function. Disorganisation was negatively correlated to attention, working memory, long-term verbal memory and executive functions. Negative dimension was negatively correlated with working memory and executive functions.
Conclusion: Cognition wasn’t correlated to the positive dimension of schizophrenia whereas it was correlated to the negative and to the disorganisation dimension of the disease. This is probably due to overlapping of concepts.

Keywords:

clinical dimensions, cognition, schizophrenia

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##

References

  1. Peralta V, De Leon J, Cuesta MJ. Are there more than two syndromes in schizophrenia? A critique of the positivenegative dichotomy. Br J Psychiatry 1992;161:335-43.
  2. Andreasen NC, Akiskal HS. The specificity of Bleulerian and Schneiderian symptoms: a critical reevaluation. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1983; 6: 41-54
  3. Palmer BW, Heaton RK, Paulsen JS et al. Is it possible to be schizophrenic yet neuropsychologically normal? Neuropsychology 1997; 11:437-46.
  4. Keefe RS, Silva SG, Perkins DO, Lieberman JA The effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs on neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia: a review and meta-analysis. Schizophr Bull. 1999; volume 25: 201-22
  5. Saykin AJ, Shatsel DL, Gur RC. Neuropsychological deficits in neuroleptic naïve patients with episode schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994 ;51 :124-31 .
  6. Heaton RK, Gladsjo JA, Palmer BW et al. Stability and course of neuropsychological deficits in schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2001; 58:24-33.
  7. Buchanan RW, Davis M, Goff DA. summary of the FDANIMH- MATRICS workshop on clinical trial design for neurocognitive drugs for schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull. 2005; 31: 5-19.
  8. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Ed 4. Washington DC: American psychiatric Association, 1994.
  9. Kay SR, Fiszbein A, Opler LA. The Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale. Schizophr Bull 1987; 13:261-76.
  10. Addington D, Addington J, Maticka-Tyndale E. Specificity of the Calgary Depression Scale for schizophrenics Schizophr Res 1994; 11:239-244.
  11. Lepine JP, Piron JJ, Chapatot E. Factor analysis of the PANSS in schizophrenic patients. In: Stefanis CN, Soltados CR, Rabavilas AD. Psychiatry today: accomplishments and promises. Amsterdam : experta medica, 1989.
  12. Rieu R. Adaptation française du Hopkins Verbal Learning Test. Rev Neurol 2006; 162:721-728.
  13. Wechsler, D. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 3rd ed. San Antonio, Texas: Psychological, 1997
  14. Zazzo R. Le test des deux barrages. Dans : Manuel de l'examen psychologique de l'enfant. Paris : PUF, 1972 : 469-576.
  15. Nuechterlein K H, Edell, W S, Norris M, Dawson M E. Attention vulnerability indicators , thought disorder and negative symptoms. Schizophr Bull 1986; 12: 408-26.
  16. Perry W, Braff D L. Information-processing deficits and thought disorder in schizophrenia. AM J Psychiatry 1994; 151: 363-7.
  17. Basso MR, Nasrallah HA, Olson SC, Bornstein RA. Neuropsychological correlates of negative, disorganized and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 1998;31:99-111.
  18. Van der Does AJ, Dingemans PM, Linszen DH, Nugter MA, Scholte WF. Symptom dimensions and cognitive and social functioning in recent-onset schizophrenia. Psychol Med 1993; 23:745-53.
  19. Cameron AM, Oram J, Geffen GM, Kavanagh DJ, McGrath JJ, Geffen LB. Working memory correlates of three symptom clusters in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2002;110:49-61.
  20. M') Shallice T. From neuropsychology to mental structure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1988.
  21. Kebir O, Dellagi L, Ben Azouz O, Rabah Y. Déficits des fonctions exécutives dans la schizophrénie selon les dimensions positive, négative et de désorganisation. Annales Médico-psychologiques 2008 ; 166 : 627-32.
  22. Collette F, Van der Linden M. Brain imaging of the central executive component of working memory. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2002; 26:105-25.
  23. Perlstein WM, Carter SC, Noll DC, Cohen JD. Relation of prefrontal cortex dysfunction to working memory and symptoms in schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158:1105-13
  24. Cameron AM, Oram J, Geffen GM, et al. Working memory correlates of three symptom clusters in schizophrenia. Psychiatr Res 2002;110:49-61.
  25. Park S, Puschel J, Sauter BH, et al. Spatial working memory deficits and clinical symptoms in schizophrenia: a four-month follow-up study. Biol Psychiatry 1999; 46:392- 400.
  26. Carter CS, Robertson LC, Nordahl TE, et al. Spatial working memory deficits and their relationship to negative symptoms in unmedicated schizophrenia patients. Biol Psychiatry 1996; 40:930-2.
  27. Pantelis C, Stuart GW, Nelson HE, et al. Spatial working memory deficits in schizophrenia: relationship with tardive dyskinesia and negative symptoms. Am J Psychiatry 2001 158:1276-85.
  28. Park S, Puschel J, Sauter BH, et al. Visual object working memory function and clinical symptoms in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2002;59:261-8.
  29. Spitzer M. The psychopathology, neuropsychology, and neurobiology of associative and working memory in schizophrenia. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 1993;243:57-70.
  30. Mac Grath J, Chapple B, Wright M. Working memory in schizophrenia and mania: correlation with symptoms during the acute and subacute phases. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2001; 103:181-8.
  31. Heinrichs R W. The primacy of cogntion in schizophrenia. Am Psychol 2005; 60: 229-42.
  32. Addinton J,Addinton D,Maticka-Tyndale E. Conitive functioning and positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 1991; 5:123-34.