Cognitive impairments in patients with first episode psychosis: The relationship between neurophysiological and neuropsychological assessments.
Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia have been widely reported. Neurophysiological and neuropsychological assessments have been conducted to study these impairments. Event-related potentials (ERPs) are relevant markers of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, and reductions in specific ERP components have been found. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was developed to obtain a consensus battery for the assessment of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Here, we aimed to study modulations of several ERP components in first episode psychosis (FEP). We also examined neuropsychological deficits using the MCCB, and correlations between ERP and MCCB impairments. Thirty-eight FEP patients were compared to thirty-eight healthy controls. The following ERP components were examined: P1, N1, MMN, P2, early-P3 and late-P3. We used an auditory three-stimulus oddball paradigm, with standard (60%), target (20%) and distractor (20%) stimuli. FEP patients showed significantly lower amplitudes of P2, early-P3 and late-P3 components. FEP patients also showed significant deficits in all the MCCB cognitive domains. Finally, correlational analyses found strong associations between amplitudes of P2, early-P3 and late-P3 components and MCCB tests for attention and speed of processing. These findings indicate that deficits in late auditory ERP components are present in FEP, whereas early components are preserved. These reductions in late ERP components were related to attentional deficits in FEP as assessed by MCCB. These findings indicate that MCCB is a valid battery for studying cognitive impairments in the initial stages of schizophrenia, and highlight the utility of converging neurophysiological and neuropsychological measures to examine attentional impairments in schizophrenia.
Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: isabel.moralesm8@gmail.com.
Isabel
I
Morales-Muñoz
Laboratory of Clinical Psychophysiology, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain; Department of Basic Psychology II (Cognitive Processes), Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Rosa
R
Jurado-Barba
Department of Basic Psychology II (Cognitive Processes), Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Sara
S
Fernández-Guinea
Laboratory of Clinical Psychophysiology, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
María José
MJ
Álvarez-Alonso
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Roberto
R
Rodríguez-Jiménez
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Miguel Angel
MA
Jiménez-Arriero
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Gabriel
G
Rubio
D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*
Cognition; Event-related potentials; First episode psychosis; MCCB