Abstract
Examination of neuropsychological functioning in schizophrenia indicates that against a background of diffuse impairment, some neurocognitive domains are differentially impaired. These include attention, memory and, to a lesser extent, abstraction and mental flexibility ('executive functions'). The deficits are present at the onset of illness and persist despite clinical improvement. The severity of initial deficits is weakly related to initial severity of symptoms, but a follow-up longitudinal evaluation suggests that the less patients improve in negative symptoms, the less they improve in neuropsychological performance. By contrast, improvement in some positive symptoms is associated with less improvement in some neuropsychological functions. The cognitive deficits are related to data from structural and functional imaging. Lower temporal lobe volume is associated with poorer cognitive abilities, and abnormally high left temporal lobe metabolism is also associated with poorer memory. The interplay between cognitive functioning, measures of brain structure and function, and clinical data is complex and seems to merit intensive and focused investigation. Such work can help elucidate pathophysiologic processes related to the phenomenology of schizophrenia.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 449-457 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | International Review of Psychiatry |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - 1997 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Fingerprint
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Cognitive changes in schizophrenia - A critical look. / Gur, Ruben C.; Ragland, John D; Gur, Raquel E.
In: International Review of Psychiatry, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1997, p. 449-457.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Cognitive changes in schizophrenia - A critical look
AU - Gur, Ruben C.
AU - Ragland, John D
AU - Gur, Raquel E.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Examination of neuropsychological functioning in schizophrenia indicates that against a background of diffuse impairment, some neurocognitive domains are differentially impaired. These include attention, memory and, to a lesser extent, abstraction and mental flexibility ('executive functions'). The deficits are present at the onset of illness and persist despite clinical improvement. The severity of initial deficits is weakly related to initial severity of symptoms, but a follow-up longitudinal evaluation suggests that the less patients improve in negative symptoms, the less they improve in neuropsychological performance. By contrast, improvement in some positive symptoms is associated with less improvement in some neuropsychological functions. The cognitive deficits are related to data from structural and functional imaging. Lower temporal lobe volume is associated with poorer cognitive abilities, and abnormally high left temporal lobe metabolism is also associated with poorer memory. The interplay between cognitive functioning, measures of brain structure and function, and clinical data is complex and seems to merit intensive and focused investigation. Such work can help elucidate pathophysiologic processes related to the phenomenology of schizophrenia.
AB - Examination of neuropsychological functioning in schizophrenia indicates that against a background of diffuse impairment, some neurocognitive domains are differentially impaired. These include attention, memory and, to a lesser extent, abstraction and mental flexibility ('executive functions'). The deficits are present at the onset of illness and persist despite clinical improvement. The severity of initial deficits is weakly related to initial severity of symptoms, but a follow-up longitudinal evaluation suggests that the less patients improve in negative symptoms, the less they improve in neuropsychological performance. By contrast, improvement in some positive symptoms is associated with less improvement in some neuropsychological functions. The cognitive deficits are related to data from structural and functional imaging. Lower temporal lobe volume is associated with poorer cognitive abilities, and abnormally high left temporal lobe metabolism is also associated with poorer memory. The interplay between cognitive functioning, measures of brain structure and function, and clinical data is complex and seems to merit intensive and focused investigation. Such work can help elucidate pathophysiologic processes related to the phenomenology of schizophrenia.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030711629&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030711629&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0030711629
VL - 9
SP - 449
EP - 457
JO - International Review of Psychiatry
JF - International Review of Psychiatry
SN - 0954-0261
IS - 4
ER -