Cognitive deficit in schizophrenia: comparative analysis of positive and negative subtype and predictors of positive subtype.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to investigate the global cognitive deficit in schizophrenia and to compare cognitive dysfunction in the positive and negative subtypes of schizophrenia, and furthermore to examine the existence of predictors of the positive and negative subtypes of schizophrenia.


METHODS
56 patients with schizophrenia were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale to classify them into the subtypes of schizophrenia, that is positive subtype (31 patients) and negative subtype (25 patients). All the patients were entering into remission. To examine the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia (global and selective) we compared scores on the Wechsler Individual Intelligence Test (VITI) for the positive and negative subtypes.


RESULTS
The negative subtype of schizophrenia showed significantly higher cognitive dysfunction in comparison to the positive subtype, with reduced functioning in evolutionary higher cognitive functions like the selection of information, processing, planning, comprehension, realization (executive functions) as well as visual motor abilities. Verbal IQ predicts the positive subtype of schizophrenia.
Cvetić
Tijana
T
Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Center of Serbia, Serbia and Montenegro. tijanacvetic@yahoo.com
Vuković
Olivera
O
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014888:Wechsler Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*