Pretreatment and longitudinal studies of neuropsychological deficits in antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia.
The early course of neuropsychological dysfunction in schizophrenia and the impact of treatment on these deficits need to be better specified. A sample of 45 patients with schizophrenia underwent five neuropsychological evaluations from prior to treatment with antipsychotic treatment through a 2-year follow-up period. A comparison sample of 33 matched healthy individuals underwent neuropsychological evaluations at similar time points. At baseline, a generalized deficit across cognitive domains was evident for the schizophrenia sample. After 6 weeks of treatment, patients showed modest improvements in visual memory and visual perception, but a decline in verbal memory. Verbal memory performance returned to baseline levels by the 6-month follow-up while deficits in other neuropsychological domains persisted throughout the 2-year period. Relatively static and generalized neuropsychological dysfunction, evident from illness onset, is consistent with neurodevelopmental rather than neurodegenerative models of schizophrenia.
Hill
S Kristian
SK
Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry (M/C 913), University of Illinois at Chicago, 912 South Wood Street, Suite 235, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. shill@psych.uic.edu
Schuepbach
Daniel
D
Herbener
Ellen S
ES
Keshavan
Matcheri S
MS
Sweeney
John A
JA
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents