Impairment of visual working memory among patients with paranoid schizophrenia

Abstract

Introduction

Schizophrenia is associated with working memory (WM), executive dysfunction and access visual WM dysfunctions among patients with paranoid schizophrenia (PSz).

Material and methods

We examined 89 patients (41.35 ± 11.52 years old, 65 males, 24 females, 15 with basic, 52 with middle and 22 with high formal education) with PSz (65% with prevalence of positive and 31 of negative syndromes) by Benton visual retention test (BVRT, var.A and E).

Results

The average number of correct performed items was 3.12 ± 1.1.83, the average errors, 13.04 ± 3.70 (6.51 ± 3.05 at left and 5.35 ± 2.30 at right visual field (VF)). Females had more corrects (P = 0.0256). Education is associated with less errors and more corrects. Patients with prevalence of negative syndromes showed more errors at left VF than those with positive, although the total number of errors and corrects were similar. Ageing was not directly associated with total number of corrects and errors. Twenty-three percent of our patients had addictions, 52% had omissions, 96% distortions (average 4.12 ± 2.31), 78% perseverations, 79% rotations, 83% misplacements and 61% size errors. Horizontal displacements were obtained from 42%.

Conclusions

Visual WM dysfunction is frequent among patients with PSz. Female sex and high education are associated with better test performances. Negative syndromes are related with high number of errors at left VF, but not with total numbers of corrects and errors. We suggest horizontal displacement as specific error among patients with PSz.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.