Subjective cognitive dysfunction in first-episode and chronic schizophrenic patients.
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.
Moritz
S
S
Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Lambert
M
M
Andresen
B
B
Böthern
A
A
Naber
D
D
Krausz
M
M
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