Cognitive aspects of schizophrenia

Cognitive impairments are a central feature of schizophrenia and are present in most, if not all, cases. There are multiple domains of impairment seen and the level of severity of impairment is considerable. Impairments can be detected prior to the onset of clinical symptoms and the course of impairments involves some subtle early worsening followed by stability in most cases. Cognitive impairments are associated with functional disability, particularly in domains of vocational functioning and independence of residence. Both pharmacological and cognitive remediation interventions have been employed for the treatment of these impairments, with greater progress to date being made in cognitive remediation interventions. While much is known about cognitive impairments, treatment efforts are still in an early stage of development. WIREs Cogn Sci 2013, 4:599-608. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1253 CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Dr. Harvey has received consulting fees from Abbott Labs, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Johnson and Johnson, Pharma Neuroboost, Roche Parma, Sunovion Pharma, and Takeda Pharma during the past year. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.