Memory deficits in late-onset schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Late-onset schizophrenia (LOS) is a debated diagnosis with distinct symptom profiles.
• Its nosological status and cognitive characteristics remain unclear.
• Understanding LOS cognition is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the memory cognitive profile of LOS patients.
• To compare LOS cognitive function with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) and healthy controls (HC).
• To explore the position of LOS within a dimensional framework of schizophrenia.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study comparing LOS (N=25), EOS (N=44), and HC (N=23).
• Cognitive assessment included Digit Span Tasks, Rey Complex Figure, and Verbal Fluency Tests.
• Clinical symptoms and functioning assessed using DIGS and PANSS.

Main Results:

• LOS patients demonstrated significantly better performance than EOS patients on digit span, Rey's figure recall, and phonemic verbal fluency.
• LOS patients exhibited significantly lower performance than HC on digit span and both verbal fluency tests.
• These findings indicate an intermediate cognitive profile for LOS.

Conclusions:

• Late-onset schizophrenia presents with milder memory deficits compared to early-onset schizophrenia.
• LOS cognitive profile supports a dimensional view of schizophrenia, characterized by predominantly positive symptoms and fewer negative/disorganization symptoms.
• Further research with larger samples and detailed memory assessments is warranted.