title: Long-term imprisonment leads to cognitive impairment.
abstract: The effects of long-term imprisonment on cognitive functions are investigated in a longitudinal study. Twenty-four serious offenders in an Austrian penitentiary underwent concentration and memory performance measurements via a questionnaire presented to them under controlled conditions in two sessions at a 42 month interval. The difference in the parameters indicated cognitive impairment after this period that was highly significant (P < 0.01); this can be interpreted as a direct consequence of imprisonment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lapornik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehofer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pump
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Egner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Posch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Zapotoczky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013997:Time Factors