title: Schizotypal disorder and schizophrenia: a profile analysis of neuropsychological functioning in Japanese patients.
abstract: This study compares neuropsychological functioning in a Japanese schizophrenia spectrum disorder group and a group of healthy Japanese volunteers. Participants were 37 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, 28 schizotypal patients, and 99 psychiatrically-normal volunteers. A wide range of cognitive measures were examined. All participants completed a Japanese version of a neuropsychological battery assessing executive function, working memory, processing speed, language, verbal memory, and spatial organization. Comparisons of neuropsychological function demonstrated similarities and differences between patients diagnosed with schizotypal disorder and those diagnosed with schizophrenia. Impairments in verbal memory, language, and processing speed were common to both patient groups and may represent a vulnerability to schizophrenia. Impairments in aspects of working memory, spatial organization and executive function were preferentially observed in schizophrenia and may be features of the overt manifestation of psychosis. Possible differences in the contributions of prefrontal and temporo-limbic structures provide direction for further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan. mmatsui@las.u-toyama.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mié
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuuki
authors.forename: Kanade
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Shimako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.forename: Warren B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Bilker
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurachi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology