Disordered water homeostasis and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
To investigate a possible association between disordered water homeostasis and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, neuropsychological tests were applied to 16 schizophrenic patients with severely deranged water homeostasis and to 16 matched schizophrenic controls. The patients with disordered water homeostasis tended to obtain poorer scores than the controls throughout, the differences being statistically significant for two of the tests (Wechsler Memory Scale Visual Reproduction and Trial Marking Test part A). These results were not ascribable to differences in the duration of the illness, premorbid IQ, medication, or electroconvulsive therapy received, or prominence of any particular symptoms. The results suggest the co-existence of disordered water homeostasis and cognitive impairment in a subset of schizophrenic patients.
Emsley
R A
RA
Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa.
Spangenberg
J J
JJ
Roberts
M C
MC
Taljaard
F J
FJ
Chalton
D O
DO
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology; D007671:Kidney Concentrating Ability / Q000502:physiology; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014869:Water Intoxication / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D014888:Wechsler Scales