Verbal memory and verbal fluency in adolescents with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
OBJECTIVE
Although impaired verbal memory and verbal fluency are frequently found in adults with schizophrenia, there has been a paucity of studies investigating adolescents with schizophrenia. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the main subcomponents of verbal memory and verbal fluency in adolescents with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.


METHODS
Verbal learning and memory and verbal fluency was assessed in 21 adolescents with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (mean age, 15.4 years) compared with 28 healthy adolescents (mean age, 15.1 years).


RESULTS
The patient group performed significantly below healthy controls on measures of learning, delayed recall and on a frequency estimation task. No differences between the groups were found for measures of recognition, retention, implicit memory, or susceptibility to interference. Although they had impaired delayed recall the patients remembered most of what they actually learned. The patient group was impaired on phonological and semantic fluency, but there were no differences between the groups with respect to clustering or switching on the fluency tasks, when controlling for total output. There was no disproportionate impairment in semantic, as compared to phonological fluency, in the patient group.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents with schizophrenia spectrum disorders exhibit impairments in verbal learning and verbal fluency, which might have an impact on the individual's everyday functioning.
Landrø
Nils Inge
NI
Center for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. n.i.landro@psykologi.uio.no
Ueland
Torill
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D014706:Verbal Learning
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents