Symptom correlates of attentional improvement following hospitalization for a first episode of affective psychosis.
BACKGROUND
This study examined patients with a first-episode of affective psychosis during acute and compensated states in order to determine whether changes in attentional functioning over time were accompanied by changes in the severity of psychotic or affective symptoms.


METHODS
Attentional performance was measured in patients (n = 27) using the degraded-stimulus continuous Performance Test (CPT) and symptoms were assessed at the time of index hospitalization, and 2 months after discharge. A comparison group of normal volunteers (n = 31) also performed the CPT two months apart.


RESULTS
Patients performed significantly worse than controls at the initial testing but not at follow-up. The improvement in attentional performance significantly correlated with decreased severity of manic symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest attentional dysfunction is a state-dependent characteristic of mania, and may provide an additional measure of clinical improvement following treatment.
Sax
K W
KW
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0559, USA.
Strakowski
S M
SM
Keck
P E
PE
McElroy
S L
SL
West
S A
SA
Stanton
S P
SP
D000328:Adult; D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology