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| Research article summary (published 13 Sep 2002): |
Schizophrenic patients without neuropsychological deficits: subgroup, disease severity or cognitive compensation?
Full Abstract
Some schizophrenic patients do not show clinically relevant cognitive deficits. The question remains whether this represents the existence of an etiologically different subgroup, a general effect of disease severity or whether their cognitive deficits do not reach a clinical threshold due to a greater cognitive compensation ('brain reserve') capacity. A group of 23 out of 118 first onset patients was identified as cognitively normal (CN). The cognitive profile of these patients was compared with that of 45 healthy controls. Next these patients were compared with the cognitively impaired (CI) patients on obstetric complications (OCs), premorbid adjustment, age at onset, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale ratings, social functioning and substance abuse. In addition both groups were compared on intelligence and educational level as indirect indicators of cognitive compensation capacity. There were no differences in OCs, premorbid adjustment, age at onset, psychopathology or substance abuse between the two patient groups. There was a significant difference in social functioning, which is a consequence rather than a cause of cognitive deficits. However, the CN patients scored significantly higher on measures of intelligence and educational level than the CI patients. This suggests that a difference in cognitive compensation capacity could explain the existence of a CN patient group.
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Author information
Author/s: Holthausen, Esther A E (EA); Wiersma, Durk (D); Sitskoorn, Margriet M (MM); Hijman, Ron (R); Dingemans, Peter M (PM); Schene, Aart H (AH); van den Bosch, Robert J (RJ);
Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands. e.a.e.holthausen(-atsign-)med.rug.nl
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Multicenter Study
Journal: Psychiatry research (Psychiatry Res), published in Ireland. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2002-Sep; vol 112 (issue 1) : pp 1-11
Dates: Created 2002/10/15; Completed 2003/04/07; Revised 2008/04/17;
PMID: 12379446, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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