Abstract
BackgroundImpaired executive function is a core cognitive deficit in schizophrenia and strongly associated with functional outcomes. Understand the relationship between clinical symptoms and executive function may help the clinician to better manage the cognitive impairment and inform prognosis. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the association between symptom dimensions and executive function in schizophrenia.MethodsOne-hundred and two patients with schizophrenia were recruited from the schizophrenia outpatient clinic from Universidade Federal de São Paulo (PROESQ/UNIFESP). Diagnosis was confirmed through the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I) and dimensional psychopathology was assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The PANSS items were grouped in five factors: positive, negative, disorganized/cognitive, mood/depression and excitement/hostility factors. The cognitive battery included the following tests: Plus–Minus Task, Number–Letter Task, Trail Making Test - Part B, Keep Track Task, Letter Memory Task, Visual Working Memory Test – MTV, Stroop Test, Semantic Generation Task and The Tower of London Test – TOL. All tasks were computerized and assessed by the software Cronos. A single latent variable for executive function was derived through Confirmatory factor analysis and yield good model fits (CFI: 0.997; TLI: 0.996; RMSEA: 0.017; SRMR: 0.041).ResultsWhen the factors were entered individually, negative (df=121, r=0,35, p <0.001) and disorganized (df= 121; r=-0.48, p <0.001) factors were significant predictors of EF. In a multivariate regression analysis, including all the factors and correcting for age, gender and duration of illness, only the disorganized factor remained significant (r2=0,21,p<0.001).DiscussionThe disorganized factor was the symptomatic dimension more strongly associated with EF. The potential use of disorganized dimension as indicator of poor executive function and related outcomes, i.e., treatment resistant schizophrenia, should be further investigated.
Highlights
Impaired executive function is a core cognitive deficit in schizophrenia and strongly associated with functional outcomes
We examined the association between subclinical persecutory delusions (PD) and social inference, testing the prediction that proneness to PD is related to altered social inference and beliefs
Overall, our results suggest that social inference in individuals with subclinical PD tendencies is less sensitive to differences in social context and shaped by negative beliefs about the intentions of others
Summary
Results: The behavioral data showed significant group-by-frame interactions (F=5.7381, p
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
