title: Subjective cognitive dysfunction in first-episode and chronic schizophrenic patients.
abstract: Previous studies indicate that first-episode and chronic schizophrenic patients do not differ regarding neuropsychological performance as assessed with standard cognitive tasks. For the present study, it was investigated whether first-episode and chronic schizophrenics report similar subjective cognitive deficits. The Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FCQ), a scale devised for assessing subjective cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia, was administered to 20 first-episode and 36 chronic schizophrenic patients, as well as 20 healthy controls. The schizophrenic subsamples did not differ on any of the FCQ subscales or on a "lie scale," measuring illness denial. Psychopathological ratings were comparable for both groups. As expected, healthy subjects reported significantly less cognitive and perceptual problems than schizophrenic patients. In marked contrast to a Kraepelinian view of schizophrenia, the present data confirm previous studies conducted with objective neuropsychological tests that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental rather than a neurodegenerative disorder.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moritz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andresen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Böthern
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Naber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krausz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires