title: [Aging and schizophrenia: the relation of age to clinical symptoms and cognitive functions in schizophrenia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The course of clinical symptoms and cognitive functions with aging in schizophrenia is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of age on psychopathological symptoms and cognitive functions in schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one patients with schizophrenia and 22 healthy subjects as a control group were included in the study. The relation of age to the severity of the symptoms and the cognitive functions were investigated in patients with schizophrenia. The age related variations in cognitive functions among patients and healthy subjects were analyzed by separating each group into young (18-34 years) and older (35-60 years) age groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a negative correlation between age and positive scores of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Age was negatively correlated to the Digit Span Test in patients with schizophrenia and the Rey Verbal Learning and Memory Test and Controlled Word Association Test in healthy subjects. There was a significant age related difference between the two groups in the Controlled Word Association Test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study revealed that age had an influence on attention but not on any other domains in patients with schizophrenia, and on verbal learning-memory and verbal fluency in the control group. This might show a cognitive impairment that does not significantly change with aging in schizophrenia. This study also demonstrated an improvement in positive symptoms with aging.
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül U Tip Fak., Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Köksal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alptekin
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: B  Kivircik Akdede
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitiş
authors.forename: Yildiz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akvardar
authors.forename: Halis
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ulaş
authors.forename: Zahide
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Orhan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia; D014936:Word Association Tests