Differences in the cognitive status of patients with schizophrenia depending on the genesis of concomitant encephalopathy

Abstract

To analyze the cognitive status of patients with schizophrenia and organic cerebral pathology of various genesis. The study included 75 patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia (F20.0). Depending on the type of organic brain lesion, all patients were divided into four groups: patients with paranoid schizophrenia without organic brain pathology (n=41), patients with dyscirculatory encephalopathy (n=15), patients with post-traumatic encephalopathy (n=12), patients with toxic encephalopathy (n=7).The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) followed by the evaluation of the results with the Boston Qualitative Scoring System (BQSS)were used to assess the cognitive status. Patients with schizophrenia without concomitant cerebral pathology had a better state of the cognitive sphere compared to patients whose underlying disease was aggravated by encephalopathy of various genesis. In particular, it applied to such cognitive functions as verbal memory, speech fluency, problem-solving behavior, long-term visual-motor memory, organization and constructive ability. According to the results of this study, patients with posttraumatic encephalopathy had the least pronounced cognitive deficit among patients with an organic brain lesion. In turn, patients with toxic encephalopathy had the worst indicators of the state of the cognitive sphere.