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Insight, neurocognitive function and symptom clusters in chronic schizophrenia
A A Collins1, G J Remington, K Coulter
1Schizophrenia Division, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Canada.
Schizophrenia Research
|November 28, 1997
Summary
Insight in schizophrenia is linked to positive symptoms, not neurocognitive deficits. This study found positive symptoms significantly predict awareness of illness in chronic schizophrenia patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Insight, or awareness of illness, is crucial for treatment adherence in schizophrenia.
- Previous research has explored links between insight, psychopathology, and neurocognition, but findings are inconsistent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between psychopathological symptoms, neurocognitive deficits, and insight in chronic schizophrenia.
- To determine the predictive value of specific symptom clusters and neurocognitive performance on insight.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-eight chronic schizophrenia outpatients were assessed.
- Measures included David's Schedule for Assessing Insight, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Calgary Depression Scale, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between psychopathological symptoms, neurocognitive deficits, and insight.
- Positive symptoms of schizophrenia were the most significant predictors of insight.
- Negative symptoms and neurocognitive deficits (WCST performance) did not significantly predict insight.
Conclusions:
- Unawareness of illness in schizophrenia is not solely a product of frontal lobe dysfunction.
- Positive symptoms play a more critical role in insight deficits than negative symptoms or neurocognitive impairments.
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