title: Correlation of cognitive functions with some aspects of illness, treatment and social functioning in recurrently hospitalized schizophrenic patients.
abstract: Cognitive deficits are found to be contributors to poorer psychosocial functioning, rehabilitation outcome and lack of treatment success in schizophrenia. Aim of the study was to examine correlation of cognitive functions with some aspects of illness, treatment and social functioning in a group of recurrently hospitalized schizophrenic patients (N=60). Deficient results on psychomotor processing speed, verbal fluency and verbal learning correlated with the longer duration of illness, higher number of hospitalizations and shorter duration of regular antipsychotic treatment. Deficient results on verbal fluency correlated with the younger age of onset, poor functional autonomy and organizational skills, whereas deficient results on psychomotor processing and verbal learning correlated with poor organizational skills alone. Score on verbal fluency was predictive of social skills impairment, whereas score on psychomotor processing was predictive of functional autonomy and organizational skills impairment. Functioning of different cognitive domains could be predictive of functioning in different social domains. Interplay of specific cognitive deficit and social functioning could be responsible for recurrent hospitalizations and unfavorable treatment choices.
authors.affiliation: University of Zagreb, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Department of Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajs
authors.forename: Spiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janović
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajs
authors.forename: Veljko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dordević
authors.forename: Sasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jevtović
authors.forename: Elizabeta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Radonić
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kalember
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents