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Processing speed: a strong predictor of verbal memory performance in schizophrenia.
Gildas Brébion1, Anthony S David, Rodrigo A Bressan
1Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. g.brebion@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
|April 19, 2006
Summary
Slowing processing speed significantly impacts verbal memory in schizophrenia patients. This cognitive slowing, particularly in tasks with semantic organization, explains much of the memory impairment observed in these individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neuropsychology
Background:
- Verbal memory impairment is a core deficit in schizophrenia.
- The contribution of processing speed to this deficit requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of processing speed slowing in verbal memory deficits in schizophrenia.
- To determine if processing speed mediates the relationship between schizophrenia and verbal recall.
Main Methods:
- Forty-one patients with schizophrenia and 41 healthy controls completed verbal memory tasks (free recall of word lists with varying semantic organization) and processing speed tests.
- Regression analyses examined the predictive power of processing speed on verbal recall.
Main Results:
- A global processing speed measure significantly predicted recall across all word lists in patients.
- Schizophrenia diagnosis significantly predicted recall, but this effect was substantially reduced or eliminated when processing speed was included in the model.
- The impact of processing speed was more pronounced in word lists with semantic organization.
Conclusions:
- Slowing of processing speed is a significant contributor to verbal memory impairment in schizophrenia.
- Cognitive slowing, especially in semantically organized tasks, plays a crucial role in the memory deficits seen in schizophrenia.