Cognitive deficits distinguish patients with adolescent- and adult-onset schizophrenia.
Recent studies have shown that patients with schizophrenia who have an adolescent-symptom onset (before age 21) have a worse clinical course and greater frequency of cerebral abnormalities than those with an adult-onset (after age 25). However, little is known about the neuropsychological functioning of these groups. A comprehensive neuropsychological examination was administered to groups of patients with schizophrenia with either an adolescent- or adult symptom-onset and a healthy control group. The adolescent-onset group performed worse than the adult-onset and control groups, particularly on measures of memory and executive function. The adult-onset group also performed worse than the controls, but to a lesser extent than did the adolescent-onset group. Results are discussed with reference to hypotheses that adolescent-onset schizophrenia represents a distinct neurodevelopmental disease entity.
Basso
M R
MR
Department of Psychology, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.
Nasrallah
H A
HA
Olson
S C
SC
Bornstein
R A
RA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology