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[Neurocognitive performance in the patients with first-episode schizophrenia and their independent first-degree
Xue Han1, Lei Yang, Zhang Cheng
1Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Beijing 100191, China.
Objective:
To evaluate neurocognitive performance in first-episode schizophrenic patients and unaffected first-degree relatives of different patients samples.
Methods:
A total of 42 patients with first-episode schizophrenia, 24 unaffected first-degree relatives and 40 healthy individuals, matched with age, gender and years of education, were recruited from both outpatients and inpatients after being diagnosed with structured tool (SCID-I/P). Subjects' cognitive performance was evaluated by a set of neuropsychological test battery, which assessed four cognitive domains including learning and memory, motor skills, speed of processing and executive function.
Results:
Healthy individuals performed better than first-episode schizophrenic patients in nearly all cognitive domains (ES=0.63-1.54) with exception of inhibition sub-domain. first-degree relatives showed moderate impairment in verbal learning (ES=0.62), digital symbol (ES=1.05), symbol search (ES=1.18), animal category (ES=0.80) and WCST perseverate errors (ES=0.68). Degree of impairment in first-degree relatives was less than that in the patients.
Conclusion:
Patients with first-episode schizophrenia have global neurocognitive deficits. Independent first-degree relatives also have deficits in some neurocognitive domains, with a moderate degree between patients and normal controls. Our results indicate that neurocognitive performance may be viewed as a biomarker for candidates reflecting genetic liability for schizophrenia.
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