Poor memory, negative symptoms and abnormal movements in never-treated Indian patients with schizophrenia

Cognitive impairment, frequently found in patients with schizophrenia, may be associated with negative symptoms and dyskinesia. However, antipsychotic medication may be a confounding variable. These putative associations may be clarified by examining never-treated patients.

Never-treated elderly schizophrenic patients (n = 19) living in south-east India were compared with treated patients (n = 25) and normal subjects (n = 55). Memory was assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale, negative symptoms by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and dyskinesia by the Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale.

Normal subjects had a higher mean memory quotient than patients. There were no significant differences between never-treated and treated patients. Negative symptoms were associated with a poorer memory in the never-treated group. There was no association between memory and dyskinesia.

There is an association in never-treated patients between a poorer memory and negative symptoms, but not between a poorer memory and dyskinesia.