Neuropsychological functioning in early-onset first-episode psychosis: comparison of diagnostic subgroups

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2010 Apr;260(3):225-33. doi: 10.1007/s00406-009-0046-9. Epub 2009 Sep 19.

Abstract

The aims of this study were to examine the nature and extent of cognitive impairment in first-episode early-onset psychosis (FE-EOP) soon after their stabilisation and to search for potential differences according to specific diagnostic sub-groups of patients. As part of a Spanish multicentre longitudinal study, 107 FE-EOP patients and 98 healthy controls were assessed on the following cognitive domains: attention, working memory, executive functioning, and verbal learning and memory. Three diagnostic categories were established in the patient sample: schizophrenia (n = 36), bipolar disorder (n = 19), and other psychosis (n = 52). Patients performed significantly worse than controls in all cognitive domains. The three diagnostic sub-groups did not differ in terms of impaired/preserved cognitive functions or degree of impairment. FE-EOP patients show significant cognitive impairment that, during this early phase, seems to be non-specific to differential diagnosis.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Attention / physiology
  • Child
  • Cognition Disorders / classification
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Cognition Disorders / etiology*
  • Executive Function / physiology
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Memory, Short-Term / physiology
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Psychotic Disorders / complications*
  • Psychotic Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Psychotic Disorders / psychology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Spain
  • Statistics, Nonparametric