Cognitive impairment in adolescents with schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether adolescent schizophrenia is characterized by neuropsychological deficits.


METHODS
The performance on a battery of neuropsychological tests of 17 adolescents with schizophrenia (mean age = 15.71 years) was compared with that of 17 normal adolescents (mean age = 15.12 years).


RESULTS
Compared with the normal subjects, the patients were impaired on 10 of the 13 measures; larger effect sizes were shown for measures involving working memory and attention than for those involving secondary memory, generative naming, and executive functions.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents with schizophrenia have generalized cognitive dysfunction, which is most apparent on tests of attention and working memory.
Kenny
J T
JT
Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44141, USA.
Friedman
L
L
Findling
R L
RL
Swales
T P
TP
Strauss
M E
ME
Jesberger
J A
JA
Schulz
S C
SC
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001288:Attention; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology