title: Neurocognition, functional competence and self-reported functional impairment in psychometrically defined schizotypy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizotypy is phenologically and genetically related to schizophrenia-spectrum illness. Previous studies find cognitive function to be mildly impaired, but specific impairments and their relationship to functioning are not well understood. In this study, we sought to examine how cognitive load affects performance in schizotypy and to examine whether impairments might manifest in functional capacity and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Undergraduate students were screened for abnormally high levels of schizotypy (N = 72) and compared to those without psychopathology (N = 80) on a standard battery of neuropsychological tests, cognitive tests with varying cognitive load, functional capacity measures and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The high schizotypy group did not differ from controls on traditional measures of neuropsychological functioning, but an interaction of group by cognitive load was observed, where those with schizotypy manifested a greater decline in performance as information processing load was parametrically increased. Differences in functioning were observed and cognitive impairment was associated with impaired functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cognitive and functional impairment can be observed in those with high schizotypal traits who are non-treatment seeking. The sensitivity of cognitive tests to impairment in this population might be a function of their ability to parametrically increase cognitive load.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Queen's University , Kingston , ON , Canada.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Best
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schorr
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bowie
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011340:Problem Solving; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: functioning; neurocognition; schizotypy