title: Neurocognitive functioning of subjects with putative pre-psychotic states and early psychosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The neurocognitive functioning of patients with schizophrenia is likely to decline at the early stage of the illness. More evidence is needed to determine whether deficits in certain domains of neurocognition precede the onset of illness and can predict the onset of psychosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were recruited from the SOPRES study in Taiwan. A neuropsychological battery including the continuous performance test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition, Trail Making Tests, Mandarin version of the Verbal Fluency Test, and Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition, was applied at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Neurocognitive profiles derived from these tests were categorized into 9 domains for comparisons among subjects with different levels of clinical severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 324 participants, including 49 with first episode psychosis (FEP), 53 with ultra-high risk (UHR), 42 with intermediate risk (IR), 43 with marginal risk (MR), and 137 normal controls completed a baseline assessment and 71% of the participants completed a 1-year follow-up assessment. The profiles of the UHR and IR groups were identical at baseline. Those who converted to FEP later on (UHR+) showed relatively poorer performance than non-converters (UHR-) at baseline. At follow-up the performance of UHR+ was compatible to that of FEP, while UHR- generally improved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By including subjects with early putative pre-psychotic states, our study clarifies some inconsistencies about the timing and stability of changes in neurocognitive functioning that occur at the start of psychosis; it also raises questions regarding the feasibility of using neurocognitive deficits to predict the risks of transition to psychosis.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: chchliu@ntu.edu.tw.
authors: Chen-Chung
authors: CC
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Mau-Sun
authors: MS
authors: Hua
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Tzung-Jeng
authors: TJ
authors: Hwang
authors: Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Chien-Yeh
authors: CY
authors: Chiu
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Chih-Min
authors: CM
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Ming H
authors: MH
authors: Hsieh
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Yi-Ling
authors: YL
authors: Chien
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Yi-Ting
authors: YT
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Hai-Gwo
authors: HG
authors: Hwu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D062706:Prodromal Symptoms; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: At-risk mental state; Neurocognition; Pre-psychotic; Psychosis; Schizophrenia; Ultra-high risk