Objectives : This study compared the neurocognitive funct,cr. between schizophrenic patients and normal controls by verbal fluency test, auditory verbal learning test, and ´l~r~na computerized neuropsychological test.
Method :The subjects were 19 schizophrenic patients who v.,-~ Hospitalized in Keimyung University Medical Center from February 2001 to July 2001, and were diagnosed as schc~nrenia by the DSMIV diagnostic criteria. They were all clinic~~lly stable and cooperative patients whose drug dosages were not changed at least for 2 weeks. Twenty normal controls were all healthy volunteers who were matches in sex and age to patients group. The clinical symptoms of schizophrenic patients were evaluated with the PANSS and BPRS.
Results :The neurocognitive functions of schizophrenic group were impaired in verbal fluency, auditory verbal learning test, continuous attention test, perseveration test, standard progressive matrix, reaction test, Corsi block tapping ~,est, visual pursuit test, and cognitrone. The performance of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was not impaired in schizophrenic group. In schizophrenic group, the positive PANSS scores had no relation with any other neurocognitive test, however the negative and general PANSS scores had relation with verbal fluency test, auditory verbal learning test, standard progressive matrices, visual pursuit test, and cognitrone.
Conclusions :These results suggest that the schizophrenic patients have more pervasive neurocognitive deficits and the negative symptoms are more related with neurocognitive deficits.
|