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Duration of untreated psychosis and cognitive functioning
Charlotte Rapp1, Erich Studerus, Hilal Bugra
1University of Basel Psychiatric Clinics, c/o University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland.
Schizophrenia Research
|February 12, 2013
Summary
Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) or illness (DUI) did not correlate with cognitive function in psychosis or at-risk mental state samples. Longer DUP and DUI were linked to increased negative symptoms, not cognitive deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Existing research on duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and duration of untreated illness (DUI) and cognition shows inconsistent results.
- This study is the first to investigate DUI's impact on cognitive functioning in an at-risk mental state with later transition to psychosis (ARMS-T) sample.
- Previous studies utilized heterogeneous methods for assessing cognitive functioning, necessitating a comparative approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between DUP and DUI and cognitive performance in first episode psychosis (FEP) and ARMS-T samples.
- To compare different methodological operationalizations of cognitive functioning in relation to DUP and DUI.
- To determine if DUP and DUI predict cognitive deficits in early psychosis and at-risk states.
Main Methods:
- 60 FEP patients and 24 ARMS-T patients were assessed.
- Cognitive performance was evaluated using three approaches: raw neuropsychological test scores, normed scores, and the deterioration index (DI).
- Associations between DUP, DUI, and cognitive measures were statistically analyzed.
Main Results:
- No significant correlations were found between DUP or DUI and raw or normed cognitive test scores in either sample.
- After adjusting for covariates, DUP and DUI did not significantly predict cognitive performance.
- No significant relationship was observed between DUP/DUI and the DI.
- However, longer DUP and DUI were significantly associated with more severe negative symptoms.
Conclusions:
- This study did not find evidence supporting an association between DUP/DUI and neurocognitive performance in FEP and ARMS-T individuals.
- The absence of a link may suggest that cognitive deficits in schizophrenia spectrum disorders are established early, predating the onset of psychosis.
- Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay between illness duration, cognitive function, and symptom presentation in early psychosis.
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