American Journal of Psychiatry · 1997 · 99 citations · 16 references
MedicinePsychiatryPsychologyCognitive PsychologyNeuropsychiatryNeuropsychologyCognitive AssessmentCognitive ImpairmentPsychotic DisordersSchizophrenia Spectrum DisordersWorking MemoryWorking Memory DeficitsAdolescent Cognitive AssessmentAdolescent Working MemoryCognitive Impairment In SchizophreniaNamingNeurocognitive DeficitsNeuropsychological Assessment Of AttentionNeuropsychological FunctioningNeuropsychological Impairment
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.
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