title: A meta-analysis of cognitive deficits in adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
abstract: This review identified 1275 studies examining cognitive deficits in people with schizophrenia, published between 1990 and 2003. Data from 113 studies (4365 patients and 3429 controls) were combined in a meta-analysis carried out on the five cognitive domains of IQ, memory, language, executive function, and attention. Studies were excluded where they lacked a suitable control group or failed to present complete information. In all five cognitive domains, analysis indicated a consistent trend for patients to perform more poorly than healthy controls, with significant heterogeneity across studies. Sources of heterogeneity were analyzed and a need to ensure more appropriate composition of patient and control groups and to adopt a more refined and methodologically correct, hypothesis-driven approach was identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatric Science and Psychol. Med., University of Rome La Sapienza, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. mario.fioravanti@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fioravanti
authors.forename: Olimpia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carlone
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cinti
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clare
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*