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Assessing declarative memory in schizophrenia using Wisconsin Card Sorting Test stimuli: the Paired Associate
J D Ragland1, D M Censits, R C Gur
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-4283, USA.
Psychiatry Research
|March 29, 1996
Summary
The Paired Associate Recognition Test (PART) and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) effectively identify memory and executive function deficits in schizophrenia. Performance was not impacted by neuroleptics, but symptom severity correlated with WCST results.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Declarative memory and executive functions are often impaired in schizophrenia.
- Differentiating these cognitive domains and their neural correlates (frontal and temporal lobes) is crucial for understanding schizophrenia.
- The Paired Associate Recognition Test (PART) was developed using Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) stimuli to allow simultaneous neuroimaging of memory and executive function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the performance of schizophrenic patients and healthy controls on the PART and WCST.
- To investigate the effects of neuroleptic and anticholinergic medication on performance.
- To examine the relationship between symptom severity and performance on these cognitive tasks.
Main Methods:
- 30 chronic schizophrenic patients and 30 matched healthy controls completed the PART, WCST, and standard declarative memory tests.
- Medication (neuroleptics, anticholinergics) and symptom severity (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) were assessed.
- Statistical analyses were used to compare groups and examine correlations.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenic patients were equally impaired on both the PART and WCST, supporting the validity of the PART.
- Neuroleptic medication did not significantly affect performance on either task.
- Anticholinergic medication showed a negative correlation with WCST performance in a subsample.
- Higher severity of schizophrenia symptoms correlated negatively with WCST performance.
Conclusions:
- The PART is a valid measure of declarative memory and can be used alongside the WCST in functional neuroimaging studies of schizophrenia.
- Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are related to symptom severity, particularly for executive functions measured by the WCST.
- Future research should utilize the PART and WCST in neuroimaging to better understand the neural underpinnings of memory and executive dysfunction in schizophrenia.
