title: Context-processing deficits in schizophrenia: diagnostic specificity, 4-week course, and relationships to clinical symptoms.
abstract: Previous research on schizophrenia suggests that context-processing disturbances are one of the core cognitive deficits present in schizophia. However, it is not clear whether such deficits are specific to schizophrenia as compared with other psychotic disorders. To address this question, the authors administered a version of the AX Continuous Performance Test designed to assess context processing in a sample of healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia, and patients with other psychotic disorders. Participants were tested at index (when medication naive and experiencing their first contact with psychiatric services) and 4 weeks later, following medication treatment. At index, patients with schizophrenia and the psychotic comparison group demonstrated similar impairments in context processing. However, context-processing deficits improved in the psychotic comparison group at 4 weeks but did not improve in patients with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, St Louis, Missouri 63130-4899, USA. dbarch@artsci.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Deanna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Barch
authors.forename: Cameron S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Angus W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Todd S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Braver
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011897:Random Allocation; D011930:Reaction Time; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012660:Semantics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents