Network analyses of cognitive performance in psychiatric disorders: A scoping review

Cognitive dysfunction is a transdiagnostic feature of psychiatric disorders and a major contributor to functional and psychosocial disability. Despite its clinical importance, the structure and dynamics of cognitive dysfunction across psychiatric conditions remain unclear. Network analysis offers a promising framework to conceptualize cognition not as isolated domains, but as interdependent systems of functions that dynamically interact with clinical symptoms and behavioral outcomes. This scoping review systematically mapped and synthesized 59 empirical studies applying network analysis to cognition across psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, and others.

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, we extracted and synthesized data on sample characteristics, cognitive assessments, network models, and key findings.

Most studies employed undirected, cross-sectional Gaussian graphical models, while directed or longitudinal models remained rare. Fewer than half of the studies conducted inferential statistics, with the remainder relying on descriptive observations. Overlap between studies was weak for cognitive domains studied and very weak for cognitive instruments used. Most studies originated from Europe, followed by Asia and North America; no studies were conducted in Latin America or Africa. Across disorders, cognition typically emerged as a distinct yet highly interconnected domain within broader psychopathological networks. Processing speed and working memory were consistently featured as central nodes, particularly in schizophrenia, lending support to their role as foundational elements of cognition. However, substantial methodological heterogeneity and limited causal modeling challenges remain.

Future research should emphasize theory-driven frameworks, longitudinal designs, standardized cognitive assessments, and replicability to better understand the role of cognition in psychiatric disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).