title: Successful evaluation of cognitive function and the nature of cognitive deficits among people with schizophrenia in clinical rehabilitation settings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite possessing considerable relevance for planning and delivery of effective rehabilitation interventions, systematic evaluation of cognitive function is often ignored in clinical practice. This paper describes a successful method for measuring cognitive function and the nature of cognitive deficits (CD) in people with schizophrenia admitted to psychiatric rehabilitation services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on the cognitive functioning of consecutive patients with schizophrenia / schizoaffective disorder admitted during a 5-year period to a public in-patient rehabilitation facility was collated retrospectively and analysed. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) was used to evaluate cognitive function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was possible to administer the BACS to 122 of 135 consecutive admissions. The mean composite score on the BACS was 1.8 standard deviations below the norm, and 43% had moderate or severe CD. The BACS sub-tests of list learning and symbol coding revealed more severe deficits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study indicates that evaluation of cognitive function using brief instruments is feasible in psychiatric rehabilitation settings. Global and domain-specific CD were prevalent among people with schizophrenia. In view of the strong association of cognitive functioning with community functioning and rehabilitation outcomes, further studies exploring the feasibility and utility of routinely evaluating cognitive function are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Professor, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, and; Consultant Psychiatrist, Bentley Health Service, Bentley, WA, Australia alexander.john@uwa.edu.au alexander.john@health.wa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Alexander Panickacheril
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nurse, Bentley Health Service, Bentley, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yeak
authors.affiliation: Occupational Therapist, Bentley Health Service, Bentley, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayres
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychologist, Bentley Health Service, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sevastos
authors.affiliation: Consultant Psychiatrist, WA, Australia and Chair, WA Branch of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: BACS; clinical rehabilitation; cognitive deficits; schizophrenia