Sex differences in neuropsychological functioning of first-episode and chronically ill schizophrenic patients.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether men and women with schizophrenia demonstrate differences in cognitive abilities.


METHODS
Two cohorts of patients with schizophrenia, an acute first-episode and a chronically hospitalized group, were evaluated with a neuropsychological battery and compared with a normal group of subjects.


RESULTS
After adjustment for age, age at onset, and premorbid IQ, male chronic patients performed worse than female chronic patients on measures of visual memory. These differences were eliminated after control for symptom severity. No other differences were found in cognitive function between men and women in either cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
Sex differences in cognitive function in schizophrenic patients are not robust findings.
University of California, Davis-Napa Psychiatric Research Center, Napa State Hospital 94558, USA.
A L
AL
Hoff
M
M
Wieneke
W O
WO
Faustman
R
R
Horon
M
M
Sakuma
H
H
Blankfeld
S
S
Espinoza
L E
LE
DeLisi
D017668:Age of Onset; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors