Abstract
BackgroundThe relationship of age and symptoms with the performance on verbal learning and memory tasks in schizophrenia could provide useful information for optimizing and individualizing the efforts to remediate the cognitive impairments of patients.MethodsDuring a cross-sectional study, 97 medicated and stabilized patients with chronic schizophrenia (61 males and 36 females, mean age=43.74 years, standard deviation-SD=11.59), which were consecutively referred to our Unit, were assessed using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). A linear regression analysis was conducted in order to investigate the effect of symptoms and age on HVLT performance.ResultsIncreased age and total PANSS symptoms were associated with worse total recall (raw scores) (B=-0.109. 95% confidence interval-C.I.- =-0.18, -0.038, t=-3.038, df=90 p=0.003 and B=-0.053, 95%CI=-0.097, -0.008, t=-2.356, df=90, p=0.021, respectively). The effect of symptoms on HVLT total recall was significant for positive (B=-0.166, 95%CI=-0.316, -0.015, t=-2.189, df=90, p=0.031), negative (B=-0.167, 95%CI=-0.279, -0.054, t=-2.949, df=90, p=0.004), but not for general psychopathology symptoms (B=-0.05, 95%CI=-0.129, 0.03, t=-1.247, df=90, p=0.216). Further analyses revealed the significant negative correlations of total symptoms with the performance in immediate recall during the first HVLT trial (B=-0.021, 95% CI=-0.036, -0.005, df=89, p=0.011), and age during the second (B=-0.046, 95%CI=-0.076,-0.017, p=0.003) and third (B=-0.048, 95%CI=-0.083, -0.014, df=89, p=0.007) HVLT immediate recall trials. Both total symptoms and age were significantly negatively correlated with the performance in recognition discrimination (raw scores) (symptoms: B=-0.199, 95%CI=-0.363, -0.035, df=87, t=-2.415, p=0.017 and age: B=-0.357, 95%CI=-0.617, -0.098, df=87, t=-2.737, p=0.008). We failed to find any significant correlation between either age or symptoms with delayed recall.DiscussionAge and symptoms are associated with immediate verbal learning and memory impairments but not with deficits in verbal delayed recall in schizophrenia. The effects of medication remain to be explored in future analyses. Cognitive remediation programmes against verbal learning deficits in individuals with schizophrenia should take into account their age as well as their symptomatology.
Highlights
The relationship of age and symptoms with the performance on verbal learning and memory tasks in schizophrenia could provide useful information for optimizing and individualizing the efforts to remediate the cognitive impairments of patients
Given the good psychometric properties obtained by the Spanish adaptation, results further support the use of the SFRT-2 as an adequate measure to assess SP in patients with schizophrenia in both research and clinical practice
During a cross-sectional study, 97 medicated and stabilized patients with chronic schizophrenia (61 males and 36 females, mean age=43.74 years, standard deviation-SD=11.59), which were consecutively referred to our Unit, were assessed using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)
Summary
The SFRT-2 was translated and retro-translated into Spanish. After that, one hundred and one patients with schizophrenia and 100 HC were assessed in order to obtain psychometric properties of the test. In patients’ group, concurrent validity was calculated using Spearman’s correlations in order to assess the relationship between SFRT hits and false positives scores and other SC measures such as ToM, EP, AS and global SC. Divergent validity was assessed in patients’ group by means of Spearman’s correlations in order to study the relationship between SFRT-2 and a neurocognition composite score. Discriminant validity of SFRT-2 actions and objectives hits and false positives was obtained comparing schizophrenia and HC groups by means of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Given the good psychometric properties obtained by the Spanish adaptation, results further support the use of the SFRT-2 as an adequate measure to assess SP in patients with schizophrenia in both research and clinical practice. Dimitrios Kontis*,1, Alexandra Giannakopoulou, Eirini Theochari, Angeliki Andreopoulou, Spyridoula Vassilouli, Dimitra Giannakopoulou, Eleni Siettou, Eleftheria Tsaltas2 1Psychiatric Hospital of Attica; 2Athens University Medical School
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