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Learning and memory impairment in cocaine-dependent and comorbid schizophrenic patients
M R Serper1, A Bergman, M L Copersino
1Department of Psychology, 222 Hauser Hall, Hofstra University, 1000 Fulton Street, Hempstead NY 11549-1270, USA. mark.serper@nyu.edu
Psychiatry Research
|March 4, 2000
Summary
Schizophrenia and cocaine abuse significantly impair verbal learning and memory. Cocaine-abusing schizophrenia patients show the most severe deficits, particularly in recall, suggesting a need for early intervention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Verbal learning and memory impairments are common in schizophrenia and cocaine abuse.
- These cognitive deficits are linked to poor treatment outcomes.
- The acute effects of combined cocaine abuse and schizophrenia on cognition are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acute effects of cocaine abuse on verbal learning and memory in patients with schizophrenia.
- To compare cognitive functioning in cocaine-dependent schizophrenic patients, cocaine-dependent patients without schizophrenia, and schizophrenic patients without substance use disorders.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) to assess verbal learning and memory.
- Tested three groups: cocaine-dependent schizophrenic patients (n=42), non-schizophrenic cocaine-dependent patients (n=21), and schizophrenic patients without substance use disorders (n=34).
- All participants were tested within 72 hours of their last cocaine use.
Main Results:
- All groups exhibited significant verbal learning and memory impairments compared to normative data.
- Schizophrenic patients with and without cocaine abuse showed similar learning and recall patterns.
- Cocaine-dependent schizophrenic patients demonstrated more severe deficits and greater forgetfulness during delayed recall compared to the other groups.
Conclusions:
- Cocaine abuse exacerbates verbal learning and memory impairments in schizophrenia, particularly affecting recall and leading to increased forgetfulness.
- These findings highlight the neurobiological impact of cocaine on cognition in schizophrenia.
- Comorbid patients require targeted cognitive remediation strategies early in treatment.