title: Decision-making impairment in schizophrenia: relationships with positive symptomatology.
abstract: Abnormal decision-making (DM) performance has been reported in several neurobehavioral disorders such as schizophrenia, addiction, and obsessive compulsive disorders. The exploration of DM correlates in terms of symptom formation may add more knowledge about the meanings of DM performance in schizophrenia. We examined the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and its relationship with clinical symptoms, evaluated by Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), in 40 schizophrenic patients and 20 controls. Schizophrenic patients did worse on IGT performance with a significant difference between the two groups in Net Score. PANSS positive symptoms were negatively correlated with Net Score and advantageous choices and directly with disadvantageous choices. Results suggest that persons with schizophrenia display a pattern of compromised DM related to positive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Struglia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stratta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gianfelice
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pacifico
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Riccardi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D003702:Delusions / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*