Goel, S., & Kumar, A.
Relationship between cognitive functioning and symptom domains among persons with schizophrenia
The present study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive functioning and symptom domains in persons with schizophrenia. A cross-sectional design was used to enroll sixty people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The degree of symptoms was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and detailed neuropsychological assessment was done using appropriate tests. The most prevalent cognitive dysfunction was inadequate verbal fluency (98.4%), followed by category fluency (96.7%), mental flexibility on all domains of WCST (90%), mental speed (76.6%), abstraction ability (70%), performance intelligence (65%), selective attention (48.3%), working memory (45%), and attention span (36.6%). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that Color Trail 1, which is a test of selective attention significantly, predicted the score on positive symptoms scale. Color Trail 2, a test of working memory, performance intelligence on BSS, and failure to maintain set of WCST test significantly predicted the score on general symptoms scale. Both working memory and performance intelligence significantly predicted the score on negative symptoms in the present study. Extremely high percentages of schizophrenia patients display deficits in various cognitive areas. Deficits in selective attention, working memory, performance intelligence, and executive functioning can significantly predict the score on various symptom domains. This is specifically important for negative symptoms, which do not respond to antipsychotics. Hence targeting the cognitive deficits may improve the function outcome in schizophrenia.
Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 2024, Vol. 31, pp. 631-641, DOI: 10.4473/TPM31.4.12
