title: [Neurocognitive performance in the patients with first-episode schizophrenia and their independent first-degree relatives: a cross-sectional study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate neurocognitive performance in first-episode schizophrenic patients and unaffected first-degree relatives of different patients samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 42 patients with first-episode schizophrenia, 24 unaffected first-degree relatives and 40 healthy individuals, matched with age, gender and years of education, were recruited from both outpatients and inpatients after being diagnosed with structured tool (SCID-I/P). Subjects' cognitive performance was evaluated by a set of neuropsychological test battery, which assessed four cognitive domains including learning and memory, motor skills, speed of processing and executive function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Healthy individuals performed better than first-episode schizophrenic patients in nearly all cognitive domains (ES=0.63-1.54) with exception of inhibition sub-domain. first-degree relatives showed moderate impairment in verbal learning (ES=0.62), digital symbol (ES=1.05), symbol search (ES=1.18), animal category (ES=0.80) and WCST perseverate errors (ES=0.68). Degree of impairment in first-degree relatives was less than that in the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with first-episode schizophrenia have global neurocognitive deficits. Independent first-degree relatives also have deficits in some neurocognitive domains, with a moderate degree between patients and normal controls. Our results indicate that neurocognitive performance may be viewed as a biomarker for candidates reflecting genetic liability for schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan-bo
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D055815:Young Adult