title: Neuropsychology, autobiographical memory, and hippocampal volume in "younger" and "older" patients with chronic schizophrenia.
abstract: Despite a wide range of studies on neuropsychology in schizophrenia, autobiographical memory (AM) has been scarcely investigated in these patients. Hence, less is known about AM in older patients and hippocampal contribution to autobiographical memories of varying remoteness. Therefore, we investigated hippocampal volume and AM along with important neuropsychological domains in patients with chronic schizophrenia and the respective relationships between these parameters. We compared 25 older patients with chronic schizophrenia to 23 younger patients and an older healthy control group (N = 21) with respect to AM, additional neuropsychological parameters, and hippocampal volume. Personal episodic and semantic memory was investigated using a semi-structured interview. Additional neuropsychological parameters were assessed by using a battery of standard neuropsychological tests. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed with an automated region-of-interest procedure. While hippocampal volume reduction and neuropsychological impairment were more pronounced in the older than in the younger patients, both groups showed equivalent reduced AM performance for recent personal episodes. In the patient group, significant correlations between left hippocampal volume and recent autobiographical episodes as well as personal semantic memories arose. Verbal memory and working memory were significantly correlated with right hippocampal volume; executive functions, however, were associated with bilateral hippocampal volumes. These findings underline the complexity of AM and its impairments in the course of schizophrenia in comparison to rather progressive neuropsychological deficits and address the importance of hippocampal contribution.
authors.affiliation: Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Christina Josefa
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Herold
authors.affiliation: Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Marc Montgomery
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lässer
authors.affiliation: Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Lena Anna
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Center for Mental Health, Klinikum Stuttgart , Stuttgart , Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Seidl
authors.affiliation: Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Iven
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fellhauer
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp Arthur
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Thomann
authors.affiliation: German Cancer Research Center , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Essig
authors.affiliation: Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany ; Institute of Gerontology, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schröder
keywords: autobiographical memory; chronic schizophrenia; episodic memory; hippocampus; neuropsychology; semantic memory; structural magnetic resonance imaging