Neurocognitive deterioration in elderly chronic schizophrenia patients with and without PTSD.
Neurocognitive deficits are associated with chronic schizophrenia and aging. We investigated whether elderly chronic schizophrenia inpatients who also suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have more severe cognitive impairment than elderly schizophrenia inpatients that do not. Fourteen schizophrenia inpatients that are Holocaust survivors and suffer from PTSD (survivor group) were compared with schizophrenia inpatients not exposed to the holocaust and without PTSD (comparison group) using neurocognitive assessments and psychiatric evaluation instruments. The survivors performed significantly worse on measures of processing speed and visual scanning, recognition memory, and general mental status, than the comparison group. Though nonsignificantly, the comparison group revealed better performance on tests that measured visuospatial perception, visuospatial planning and strategies, organizational and constructional skills. The survivor group displayed a greater severity of antipsychotic-induced side effects that were not associated with differences in cognitive performance. Comorbid PTSD may contribute to the severity of neurocognitive impairment in elderly chronic schizophrenia patients.
Goodman
Craig
C
Lev-Hasharon Mental Health Center, Netanya, Israel. craiggoodman7@yahoo.com
Finkel
Boris
B
Naser
Mahmud
M
Andreyev
Piter
P
Segev
Yehoshua
Y
Kurs
Rena
R
Melamed
Yuval
Y
Bleich
Avi
A
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D017767:Holocaust / Q000523:psychology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents