Self-assessed cognitive dysfunction and objective performance in outpatients with schizophrenia participating in a rehabilitation program.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the pattern of associations between self-assessed and objective neuropsychological performance in a sample of outpatients with schizophrenia participating in a rehabilitation program.


METHODS
The Subjective Scale to Investigate Cognition in Schizophrenia (SSTICS) [Compr. Psychiatry 44 (2003) 331] was used to assess cognitive complaints in 73 subjects with schizophrenia. Visuo-spatial tests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) [Cogn. Neuropsychiatry 3 (1998) 45] were administered as objective measures.


RESULTS
Cognitive complaints in several cognitive domains were mainly correlated with a true difficulty in memory. Higher SSTICS attention scores, i.e. increased complaints, were associated with poorer CANTAB explicit visual memory and planning performances. Higher SSTICS executive functioning scores were associated with poorer CANTAB explicit visual memory scores.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that outpatients with schizophrenia express some cognitive difficulties. However, the cognitive nature of these subjective complaints does not strictly correspond with objective performances. These results also suggest that theoretical constructs of cognitive functions do not always have ecological validity. Thus, subjective cognitive complaints should be taken into account in assessment of patient well-being, but cannot be used as a substitute to objective cognitive measures. The simultaneous use of subjective and objective measures of cognitive dysfunction may provide a more complete picture of individual rehabilitation targets in patients with schizophrenia.
Prouteau
Antoinette
A
Department of Psychiatry, IFR of Public Health, University Victor Segalen, Bordeaux 2, France.
Verdoux
Hélène
H
Briand
Catherine
C
Lesage
Alain
A
Lalonde
Pierre
P
Nicole
Luc
L
Reinharz
Daniel
D
Stip
Emmanuel
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012647:Self-Assessment