[Cognitive deficit and schizophrenia].
BACKGROUND
In the present paper, the results of a number of different studies that have tried to establish the characteristics of the cognitive deficit in schizophrenia are discussed. The principal objective of this study was to ascertain whether exist statistically significative differences in such deficit in schizophrenic patients in relation with their preponderant symptomathology (positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and disorganization) or their degree of defectual symptoms.


METHODS
Sixty three schizophrenic patients under treatment in a Day Hospital were divided in groups using the dimensions of Liddie and the Scale for assessing the Deficit Syndrome in Schizophrenia. Cognitive deficit was assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).


RESULTS
Our results show that education and gender has no relation with the cognitive deficit exhibited, whereas there is a direct relation with age and years suffering the illness. Patients who exhibited preponderant disorganization symptoms and those describes as defectual syndrome schizophrenics showed more cognitive deficit in the WCST. The number of preservations in the WCST seems to be the main deficit.


CONCLUSIONS
The concept of planning in suggested as a schizophrenic marker in the frame of theories that claim there is a failure in the neurodevelopment of these patients.
Torres
A
A
Complejo Hospitalario Xeral-Cíes. Vigo, Pontevedra, France. atorres@correo.cop.es
Méndez
L
L
Olivares
J M
JM
Vaamonde
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors