Spontaneous improvement in severe, chronic schizophrenia and its neuropsychological correlates.
Cognitive impairment is well established in schizophrenia but its relationship to the course of the illness remains incompletely understood. Here we document two patients with schizophrenia who underwent neuropsychological testing while chronically unwell, and this was repeated after improvement took place. Both patients showed significant recovery of general intellectual function, accompanied by improvements in some but not all areas of neuropsychological function: executive function remained particularly impaired.
Murray
G K
GK
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Finland.
Leeson
V
V
McKenna
P J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology