Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 April 2020
Cognitive dysfunction represents an essentials feature of schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia have substantial memory deficits.
To examine memory deficits in first episode schizophrenia, characterise the nature of impairment and specify the relationships with the duration of untreated psychosis.
40 first episode schizophrenia patients admitted to the Second Psychiatric Clinic Cluj, Romania and 50 healthy controls were assessed with memory tests from CANTAB battery (Spatial Working Memory, Paired Associates Learning and Spatial Span) and with Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to quantify symptom severity.
Statistical analysis: Results were analysed using SPSS 12 applying ANOVA, ANCOVA, chi square test and Pearson correlations. Duration of untreated psychosis was log10 transformed to reduce skew.
First episode schizophrenia patients scored significantly poorer then healthy subjects on all memory tests. Spatial working memory was impaired due to inadequate strategy use. Worse performance correlated with longer duration of untreated psychosis.
Impairments in memory are already present in first episode schizophrenia patients.
EEX grant 97/2006
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