2020 – Neuropsychological evaluation of executive functionsin schizophrenic “psychosocial care center” users in cabedelo / PB

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder of unknown origin, which has stimulated scholars to want to fully understand it. Through neuropsychological testing it has been possible to delimit areas and brain functions; executive functions have been increasingly studied since studies with people with schizophrenia have shown that its impairment can be related to the person's social and occupational dysfunction. This work aimed to evaluate the executive functions of schizophrenic patients of the CAPS I(a Psychosocial Care Center) in the city of Cabedelo in the state of Paraiba. This study was based on a sample of 20 patients with schizophrenia according to the DSM IV, which were later on tested with the Block Design subtest of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and a socio-demographic questionnaire. The results showed possible involvement in executive functions, indicated by poor performance in the WCST, showing mainly a high level of preservative errors, few administered trials and a small number of categories completed. As for the performance in the block subtest, it was also possible to indicate levels of cognitive impairment established by a high number of below average test scores. Both results were significant in testing the executive function impairment, which may be one of the premises of socio-occupational dysfunction, found within the socio-demographic data. It is concluded that there is loss of executive functions in individuals with schizophrenia.