Abstract
BackgroundThis study aimed to explore differences in links between negative symptoms and neurocognitive deficits in adolescent and adult patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder often characterized by positive and negative symptoms, reduced emotional expression, excitatory status, and poor cognitive ability. The severity of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia was reported to be more related to poor quality of life, weak functional ability, and heavy burden from families than with the severity of positive symptoms. Previous studies suggested correlations between the severity of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and neurocognitive deficits.MethodsThis study included 92 patients (33 adolescents and 59 adults) with first-episode schizophrenia and 57 healthy people matched by age and education level. Neurocognitive functions and clinical symptoms were assessed using a standardized questionnaire.ResultsPatients with first-episode schizophrenia showed neurocognitive deficits in most neuropsychological assessments compared with healthy people. With the variable of education level controlled, the negative factor score of adolescent patients with first-episode schizophrenia was strongly correlated with more time spent in part 1 (r = .646) and part 2 (r = .663) of the trail making test, and moderately correlated to more perseverative errors (r = .425) of the Wisconsin card sorting test and fewer correct trials 2 (r = −.425) of the continuous performance test. However, no such correlations were found in adult patients.ConclusionsThis study indicated significant correlations between negative symptoms and most neurocognitive functions in patients with first-episode schizophrenia, with a stronger correlation in adolescent patients.Trial registrationThe trial registration number is ChiCTR-COC-14005302, while retrospectively registered on January 5, 2014.
Highlights
This study aimed to explore differences in links between negative symptoms and neurocognitive deficits in adolescent and adult patients with first-episode schizophrenia
Demographics, neuropsychological assessments, and clinical assessments No significant difference was found in age (t = −.697, p = .487), education level (t = −1.832, p = .070), or gender (χ2 = .129, p = .625) between patients with first-episode schizophrenia and healthy people
In the continuous performance test (CPT), patients with first-episode schizophrenia got a higher mean score of perseverative errors (PE) of CPT 3 compared with healthy people (t = 2.022, p = .045)
Summary
This study aimed to explore differences in links between negative symptoms and neurocognitive deficits in adolescent and adult patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder often characterized by positive and negative symptoms, reduced emotional expression, excitatory status, and poor cognitive ability. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder often described in terms of hallucination and abnormal social behavior, including poor rapport and social isolation. It affects about 0.3–0.7 % [1] of people at some point (the peak age of onset is 18–25 years [2]) in their lives and accounts for approximately 1 % of disability-adjusted life year all over the world [3]. Schizophrenia is often characterized by positive and negative symptoms, reduced emotional expression, excitatory status, and poor cognitive ability. Literature research suggested that a five-factor model, which consists of positive, negative, disorganized–concrete, excited, and anxious–depressive factor, better captured the PANSS structure in patients with schizophrenia [7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]
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.
