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The use of clock tests in schizophrenia
N Herrmann1, D Kidron, K I Shulman
1Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, North York, Ontario, Canada.
General Hospital Psychiatry
|March 9, 1999
Summary
Patients with schizophrenia show deficits in clock drawing and copying tasks, even with similar Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. These tests may help assess cognition and monitor treatment effects in schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Clock drawing tests (CDTs) are established cognitive assessment tools.
- Limited research exists on CDT performance in schizophrenia patients.
- Cognitive impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of schizophrenia patients on clock drawing, copying, and reading tasks.
- To compare their performance with healthy, age-matched controls.
- To explore the relationship between cognitive performance and symptom severity.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 24 patients with schizophrenia and 24 healthy controls.
- Assessment using clock drawing, clock copying, and clock reading tests.
- Administration of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS).
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients performed significantly worse on clock drawing and copying tasks compared to controls.
- No significant difference in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores between the groups.
- Worse performance on clock drawing and copying correlated with higher Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores.
Conclusions:
- Clock drawing and copying tests are sensitive to cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
- These tests may be valuable for assessing cognition in schizophrenia.
- CDTs could aid in monitoring cognitive changes during antipsychotic treatment.