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Neuropsychological impairment in first-episode and chronic schizophrenic patients

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Abstract

Patients with first-episode (FE) schizophrenia (n=40), with chronic schizophrenia (n=40) and healthy controls (n=40) matched for age, gender, education and parental socioeconomic status were administered a battery of standardized neuropsychological (NP) tests. Both patient groups showed generalized impairment relative to controls and the most pronounced deficits in visual-motor processing and attention (VSM). Compared with FE patients, chronic schizophrenics performed worse in VSM and abstraction/flexibility. Our findings suggest that NP deficits are fundamental manifestations of the illness, and that mainly frontally based dysfunctions are more prominent in chronic, kraepelinian patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Mental Hospital Haar, Vockestr. 72, D-85529, Haar, Germany

    M. Albus, W. Hubmann, Ch. Ehrenberg, U. Forcht, F. Mohr, N. Sobizack, Ch. Wahlheim & S. Hecht

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  1. M. Albus
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  2. W. Hubmann
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  3. Ch. Ehrenberg
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  4. U. Forcht
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  5. F. Mohr
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  6. N. Sobizack
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  7. Ch. Wahlheim
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  8. S. Hecht
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Albus, M., Hubmann, W., Ehrenberg, C. et al. Neuropsychological impairment in first-episode and chronic schizophrenic patients. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Nuerosci 246, 249–255 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190276

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190276

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