Neurocognitive function and mortality in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Abstract

Individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) have significantly lower life-expectancy than healthy people. Previously, we have identified baseline neurocognitive function in general and verbal memory and executive function in particular as related to mortality nearly two decades later. In this study, we aim to replicate these findings with a larger and age-matched sample. The patient group consisted of 252 individuals, 44 of whom were deceased and 206 alive. Neurocognition was assessed with a comprehensive battery. Results showed that the deceased group, compared to the living group, had significantly more severe neurocognitive deficits across nearly all domains. There were no differences in sex, remission status, psychosis symptoms, or function level between the groups. Immediate verbal memory and executive function were the strongest predictors of survival status. These results were nearly identical to our previous studies, and we conclude that baseline neurocognitive function is an important predictor for mortality in SSD. Clinicians should be mindful of this relationship in patients with significant cognitive deficits.