Cognitive Impairment in Adolescents With Schizophrenia

John T. Kenny, Lee S. Friedman, Robert L. Findling, Thomas P. Swales, Milton E. Strauss, John A. Jesberger, S. Charles Schulz

American Journal of Psychiatry · 1997 · 99 citations · 16 references

Concepts

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether adolescent schizophrenia is characterized by neuropsychological deficits. METHOD: The performance on a battery of neuropsychological tests of 17 adolescents with schizophrenia (mean age = 15.71 years) was compared with that of 17 normal adolescents (mean age = 15.12 years). RESULTS: Compared with the normal subjects, the patients were impaired on 10 of the 13 measures; larger effect sizes were shown for measures involving working memory and attention than for those involving secondary memory, generative naming, and executive functions. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with schizophrenia have generalized cognitive dysfunction, which is most apparent on tests of attention and working memory.

References

16