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Is there cognitive decline in schizophrenia? A cross-sectional study
T M Hyde1, S Nawroz, T E Goldberg
1Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Neuroscience Center at St Elizabeth's, Washington, DC 20032.
Summary
Cognitive decline in schizophrenia patients does not accelerate with age. This study found intellectual function remains stable throughout adulthood, suggesting a static condition rather than progressive dementia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder often associated with cognitive deficits.
- The potential for progressive cognitive decline and dementia in schizophrenia patients remains a subject of debate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether cognitive function progressively declines in adult patients with chronic schizophrenia.
- To differentiate between age-related cognitive changes and illness-related deterioration.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 18-69 year old chronic schizophrenia patients.
- Rigorous screening for comorbid conditions affecting central nervous system function.
- Assessment using a battery of neuropsychological tests sensitive to dementia, including the Mini-Mental State Examination, Dementia Rating Scale, and Boston Naming Test.
Main Results:
- No evidence of accelerated intellectual decline was found across five age cohorts.
- Performance on most cognitive tests was below normal across all age groups, indicating baseline impairment.
- Boston Naming Test scores declined with age, but this was attributed to aging, not illness duration.
Conclusions:
- Intellectual function does not appear to markedly decline during adulthood in schizophrenia patients.
- The cognitive profile in schizophrenia is more indicative of a static encephalopathy than a progressive dementing disorder.