Cognitive deficits in clinical and familial high risk groups for psychosis are common as in first episode schizophrenia

• Published in: Schizophrenia research Vol. 151; no. 1-3; pp. 265 - 269
• Main Authors: Üçok, Alp, Direk, Neşe, Koyuncu, Ahmet, Keskin-Ergen, Yasemin, Yüksel, Çağrı, Güler, Jülide, Karadayı, Gülşah, Akturan, Elçin, Devrim-Üçok, Müge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition; Cognition Disorders - etiology; Familial risk; Female; First episode schizophrenia; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Psychotic Disorders - complications; Psychotic Disorders - genetics; Risk; Risk Factors; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - complications; Schizophrenia - genetics; Schizophrenic Psychology; Ultra high risk for psychosis; Young Adult; Cognition; Familial risk; Ultra high risk for psychosis; First episode schizophrenia; Human; High risk; Cognitive disorder; Family study; Schizophrenia; Psychosis; First episode; Risk factor; Prepsychotic state
• ISSN: 0920-9964; 1573-2509; 1573-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.10.030

The aim of this sudy is to compare the neurocognitive functions in individuals with clinical or genetic risk for psychosis, in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and in healthy controls. We compared cognitive functions of 52 individuals at ultra high risk (UHR) for psychosis, 53 patients with FES, their 30 healthy siblings (familial high risk group, FHR) and controls. FES group had worse neuropsychological performance than controls in all of the domains. UHR group had worse performance in verbal learning, attention, and working memory than controls. Additionally, individuals at UHR with familial risk had worse performance on executive functions thanthecontrol group. FES group had lower global composite score than UHR group, and worse sustained attention than FHR group. FHR group had worse performance on executive functions and attention than controls. We found no difference in cognitive performances of UHR and FHR groups. Cognitive deficits in UHR and FHR groups were largely similar to those with FES. These findings support that cognitive deficits may arise before the first episode of schizophrenia.