Pub Date : 2025-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100356
Rachael Keir Blackman , Dwight Dickinson , Michael D. Gregory , Bhaskar S. Kolachana , Daniel P. Eisenberg , Karen F. Berman
Although some individuals with schizophrenia are able to maintain gainful employment, many are not. To better understand this differential real-life outcome, we tested general and specific cognitive measures as predictors of future employment and genetic moderators of these relationships. One hundred and twenty-four patients with schizophrenia spectrum illness (31.5 % female, mean age 32.5 ± 10.5 years) participated in a research study at the National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program's Clinical Center and were later recontacted regarding outcomes (average time to recontact = 8.6 ± 4.0 years). At the initial visit, patients completed a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests and provided blood samples for genotyping. Cognitive scores at the initial visit were tested as predictors of future employment status (employed vs. unemployed) at follow-up using logistic regressions, and polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia were tested as moderators. At follow-up, 45.2 % of individuals were employed. General cognitive ability indexes (“g” and IQ) and verbal memory were predictive of subsequent employment status. Additionally, polygenic risk for schizophrenia moderated the effect of working memory cognitive scores on the prediction of future employment. The results suggest that certain broad indexes of cognitive dysfunction may be particularly salient in targeting interventions to address real-world functioning in schizophrenia. These data also suggest that further investigation into the genetic underpinnings of real-life outcomes in this illness is warranted.
{"title":"Cognitive predictors and genetic moderators of employment outcomes in people with schizophrenia","authors":"Rachael Keir Blackman , Dwight Dickinson , Michael D. Gregory , Bhaskar S. Kolachana , Daniel P. Eisenberg , Karen F. Berman","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although some individuals with schizophrenia are able to maintain gainful employment, many are not. To better understand this differential real-life outcome, we tested general and specific cognitive measures as predictors of future employment and genetic moderators of these relationships. One hundred and twenty-four patients with schizophrenia spectrum illness (31.5 % female, mean age 32.5 ± 10.5 years) participated in a research study at the National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program's Clinical Center and were later recontacted regarding outcomes (average time to recontact = 8.6 ± 4.0 years). At the initial visit, patients completed a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests and provided blood samples for genotyping. Cognitive scores at the initial visit were tested as predictors of future employment status (employed vs. unemployed) at follow-up using logistic regressions, and polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia were tested as moderators. At follow-up, 45.2 % of individuals were employed. General cognitive ability indexes (“<em>g</em>” and IQ) and verbal memory were predictive of subsequent employment status. Additionally, polygenic risk for schizophrenia moderated the effect of working memory cognitive scores on the prediction of future employment. The results suggest that certain broad indexes of cognitive dysfunction may be particularly salient in targeting interventions to address real-world functioning in schizophrenia. These data also suggest that further investigation into the genetic underpinnings of real-life outcomes in this illness is warranted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100356"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-12DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100357
Caroline Cullen , Keith Gaynor , Klaus Kessler
Research has shown that impairments in perception, reasoning, and social cognition are evident across the psychosis continuum and are implicated in the transition from subclinical symptoms to clinical psychosis. In this pilot feasibility study, a brief computerised assessment of visual perception, reasoning, social cognition and emotion dysregulation was administered to 157 adults in the community alongside self-report measures of psychotic-like experiences. The feasibility, reliability, and the predictive validity of the assessment tool were examined. The assessment procedure was feasible, evidenced through high completion rates. However, reliability estimates were suboptimal for online assessment measures. Self-reported visual perception and state emotion dysregulation predicted psychotic-like experiences explaining 53% of the variance when controlling for age. This study provides preliminary evidence that state difficulties with emotion regulation and self-reported visual perception abnormalities can predict increased psychotic-like experiences in the community. Future adaptations could address technological issues encountered with assessment tasks and ensure measures are psychometrically robust when administered online. Brief online assessments hold potential for research of both cognition and affect along the psychosis continuum although caution must be exercised with the chosen methodology.
{"title":"Evaluation of a brief online multi-index assessment for predicting increased psychotic-like experiences in the community: A perceptual, cognitive and affective approach.","authors":"Caroline Cullen , Keith Gaynor , Klaus Kessler","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research has shown that impairments in perception, reasoning, and social cognition are evident across the psychosis continuum and are implicated in the transition from subclinical symptoms to clinical psychosis. In this pilot feasibility study, a brief computerised assessment of visual perception, reasoning, social cognition and emotion dysregulation was administered to 157 adults in the community alongside self-report measures of psychotic-like experiences. The feasibility, reliability, and the predictive validity of the assessment tool were examined. The assessment procedure was feasible, evidenced through high completion rates. However, reliability estimates were suboptimal for online assessment measures. Self-reported visual perception and state emotion dysregulation predicted psychotic-like experiences explaining 53% of the variance when controlling for age. This study provides preliminary evidence that state difficulties with emotion regulation and self-reported visual perception abnormalities can predict increased psychotic-like experiences in the community. Future adaptations could address technological issues encountered with assessment tasks and ensure measures are psychometrically robust when administered online. Brief online assessments hold potential for research of both cognition and affect along the psychosis continuum although caution must be exercised with the chosen methodology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100357"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-08DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100355
Oloruntoba J. Oluboka , Andrea Bardell , Howard C. Margolese , Philip G. Tibbo , Lisa Buchy , Christine Di Cresce , Jun Yu , Roger S. McIntyre
Background
Cariprazine, a potent dopamine D3-preferring D3/D2 receptor partial agonist, has demonstrated benefits on negative symptoms among patients with schizophrenia. Secondary endpoint and post-hoc analyses have also suggested a benefit of cariprazine on quality of life (QoL) and attention.
Methods
Data for this post-hoc analysis were pooled from two 6-week, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials evaluating cariprazine among patients with acute exacerbations of schizophrenia. One study included an aripiprazole active-control arm for assay sensitivity.
Two populations were analyzed: pooled intention-to-treat (ITT) population (N = 1043), and the pooled subgroup with predominant negative symptoms (PNS, n = 215), as defined by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) subscale and item cut-off criteria at baseline. Analyses of interest were: Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4) total score; Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) power of attention (PoA), and continuity of attention (CoA).
Results
Among study completers, cariprazine and aripiprazole were associated with significant SQLS-R4 improvements in the ITT and PNS populations. Differences in CDR-PoA scores were significant for cariprazine vs. placebo in the ITT and PNS populations, but not for aripiprazole in the ITT or PNS analyses. Differences in CDR-CoA scores were significant for cariprazine vs. placebo in the ITT and PNS analyses; and was significant for aripiprazole vs. placebo in the PNS analysis, but not in the ITT analysis.
Conclusions
This post-hoc analysis suggests that cariprazine may be associated with beneficial effects on measures of attention and QoL among patients with schizophrenia, and these effects could be more pronounced among individuals with PNS.
{"title":"Effect of cariprazine on attention and quality of life in patients with predominant negative symptoms of schizophrenia: A post-hoc analysis","authors":"Oloruntoba J. Oluboka , Andrea Bardell , Howard C. Margolese , Philip G. Tibbo , Lisa Buchy , Christine Di Cresce , Jun Yu , Roger S. McIntyre","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Cariprazine, a potent dopamine D<sub>3</sub>-preferring D<sub>3</sub>/D<sub>2</sub> receptor partial agonist, has demonstrated benefits on negative symptoms among patients with schizophrenia. Secondary endpoint and post-hoc analyses have also suggested a benefit of cariprazine on quality of life (QoL) and attention.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data for this <em>post-hoc</em> analysis were pooled from two 6-week, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials evaluating cariprazine among patients with acute exacerbations of schizophrenia. One study included an aripiprazole active-control arm for assay sensitivity.</div><div>Two populations were analyzed: pooled intention-to-treat (ITT) population (<em>N</em> = 1043), and the pooled subgroup with predominant negative symptoms (PNS, <em>n</em> = 215), as defined by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) subscale and item cut-off criteria at baseline. Analyses of interest were: Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4) total score; Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) power of attention (PoA), and continuity of attention (CoA).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among study completers, cariprazine and aripiprazole were associated with significant SQLS-R4 improvements in the ITT and PNS populations. Differences in CDR-PoA scores were significant for cariprazine vs. placebo in the ITT and PNS populations, but not for aripiprazole in the ITT or PNS analyses. Differences in CDR-CoA scores were significant for cariprazine vs. placebo in the ITT and PNS analyses; and was significant for aripiprazole vs. placebo in the PNS analysis, but not in the ITT analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This post-hoc analysis suggests that cariprazine may be associated with beneficial effects on measures of attention and QoL among patients with schizophrenia, and these effects could be more pronounced among individuals with PNS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100355"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143580295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-19DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100352
Antonio Vita , Stefano Barlati , Roberto Cavallaro , Riccardo Cipelli , Giulio Corrivetti , Dario Delmonte , Eleonora Lusito , Elisabetta Maia , Maria Michela Marino , Giuseppe Nicolò , Paola Rocca , Silvana Galderisi
Introduction
Cognitive Impairment (CIAS) is a core aspect of schizophrenia and one of the main obstacles to clinical and functional recovery in patients. People with CIAS have difficulties with learning and using information in real world. Despite its well-recognized role, it is not yet a diagnostic criterion in DSM-5 and ICD system. The effective management of CIAS represents a critical unmet need of schizophrenia treatment.
Methods
To evaluate the awareness of CIAS in the Italian landscape, we conducted a quantitative survey on psychiatrists highly specialized in schizophrenia, focused on its awareness, assessment, burden, and treatment.
Results
Of 152 participants, 139 (91.4 %) consider CIAS assessment important. The terminology most frequently used to describe CIAS is ‘cognitive impairment’. CIAS is assessed, clinically or with formal tools, in approximately 43 % of patients after stabilisation either during follow-up visits (N = 88, 67.7 %) or during hospital stay (N = 57, 43.8 %). 65 % of evaluated patients are considered affected by CIAS. Formal assessment tools (tests, questionnaires, interviews) are used in about 20 % of the centers. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (N = 75, 72.1 %) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) (N = 62, 59.6 %) are the most frequently used tools for CIAS evaluation.
Conclusions
The clinical characteristics of the patient, structural barriers like the lack of trained personnel or inadequate economic resources, and organizational problems influence the assessment rate. Despite this awareness, greater effort must be made to overcome the barriers, especially economic and organizational ones, which prevent the assessment and treatment of CIAS from becoming established in routine clinical care.
{"title":"The awareness, characterization, and burden of Cognitive Impairment Associated with Schizophrenia (CIAS) in clinical practice: Results from a nationwide survey in Italy","authors":"Antonio Vita , Stefano Barlati , Roberto Cavallaro , Riccardo Cipelli , Giulio Corrivetti , Dario Delmonte , Eleonora Lusito , Elisabetta Maia , Maria Michela Marino , Giuseppe Nicolò , Paola Rocca , Silvana Galderisi","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Cognitive Impairment (CIAS) is a core aspect of schizophrenia and one of the main obstacles to clinical and functional recovery in patients. People with CIAS have difficulties with learning and using information in real world. Despite its well-recognized role, it is not yet a diagnostic criterion in DSM-5 and ICD system. The effective management of CIAS represents a critical unmet need of schizophrenia treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>To evaluate the awareness of CIAS in the Italian landscape, we conducted a quantitative survey on psychiatrists highly specialized in schizophrenia, focused on its awareness, assessment, burden, and treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of 152 participants, 139 (91.4 %) consider CIAS assessment important. The terminology most frequently used to describe CIAS is ‘cognitive impairment’. CIAS is assessed, clinically or with formal tools, in approximately 43 % of patients after stabilisation either during follow-up visits (<em>N</em> = 88, 67.7 %) or during hospital stay (<em>N</em> = 57, 43.8 %). 65 % of evaluated patients are considered affected by CIAS. Formal assessment tools (tests, questionnaires, interviews) are used in about 20 % of the centers. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (<em>N</em> = 75, 72.1 %) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) (<em>N</em> = 62, 59.6 %) are the most frequently used tools for CIAS evaluation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The clinical characteristics of the patient, structural barriers like the lack of trained personnel or inadequate economic resources, and organizational problems influence the assessment rate. Despite this awareness, greater effort must be made to overcome the barriers, especially economic and organizational ones, which prevent the assessment and treatment of CIAS from becoming established in routine clinical care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100352"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143438278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-18DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100348
V.E. de Vries , R.J.C. Huntjens , B.E. Sportel , J.J. Arends , G.H.M. Pijnenborg
Background
The distinction between dissociative disorders (DDs) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) in different categories since DSM-III presumes a clear-cut distinction between both disorders. However, empirical studies did not reveal a clear distinction between the disorders on a symptom level. The aim of the current study was to further examine the overlap and differences in symptoms between DDs and SSDs.
Methods
Levels and types of dissociative and psychotic symptoms were compared between 27 DD patients and 51 SSD patients using MANOVA. For a more fine-grained insight, a subgroup analysis was performed with the DD group and 12 individuals with SSD who report many dissociative experiences (SSD-H). Finally, a discriminant analysis was performed to explore if there are symptoms discriminating between the DD group and both SSD groups.
Results
Results showed that the DD group experienced higher levels of each type of dissociative symptoms than the total SSD group. The symptoms self-states alters, discontinuities of time, flashbacks, voices, and depersonalization were found to best discriminate between the groups. These differences did not hold in the subgroup analysis between the DD group and SSD-H group, where only differences on the validity scales rare symptoms, attention seeking and factitious behavior were found.
Conclusion
It can be stated that none of the dissociative and psychotic symptoms is specific to DDs or SSDs. Therefore it is advisable to be cautious with classifying based on the presence of (certain) symptoms. A transdiagnostic approach towards assessment and treatment, regardless of classification, is indicated.
{"title":"Phenomenology of dissociative symptoms: A comparison between individuals with dissociative disorders and high and low dissociative schizophrenia spectrum disorders","authors":"V.E. de Vries , R.J.C. Huntjens , B.E. Sportel , J.J. Arends , G.H.M. Pijnenborg","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100348","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100348","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The distinction between dissociative disorders (DDs) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) in different categories since DSM-III presumes a clear-cut distinction between both disorders. However, empirical studies did not reveal a clear distinction between the disorders on a symptom level. The aim of the current study was to further examine the overlap and differences in symptoms between DDs and SSDs<strong>.</strong></div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Levels and types of dissociative and psychotic symptoms were compared between 27 DD patients and 51 SSD patients using MANOVA. For a more fine-grained insight, a subgroup analysis was performed with the DD group and 12 individuals with SSD who report many dissociative experiences (SSD-H). Finally, a discriminant analysis was performed to explore if there are symptoms discriminating between the DD group and both SSD groups.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Results showed that the DD group experienced higher levels of each type of dissociative symptoms than the total SSD group. The symptoms self-states alters, discontinuities of time, flashbacks, voices, and depersonalization were found to best discriminate between the groups. These differences did not hold in the subgroup analysis between the DD group and SSD-H group, where only differences on the validity scales rare symptoms, attention seeking and factitious behavior were found.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>It can be stated that none of the dissociative and psychotic symptoms is specific to DDs or SSDs. Therefore it is advisable to be cautious with classifying based on the presence of (certain) symptoms. A transdiagnostic approach towards assessment and treatment, regardless of classification, is indicated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100348"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143428837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-15DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100351
Akke Ganse-Dumrath , Anya Chohan , Steven Samuel , Paul Bretherton , Corinna Haenschel , Anne-Kathrin Fett
Non-affective psychotic disorders are marked by cognitive and sensory processing abnormalities, including in early visual processing and social cognition. Understanding the relationships between these deficits and their impact on daily-life functional outcomes may help to improve outcomes in affected individuals. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarise the existing evidence on the relationships between early visual processing, social cognition, and functional outcomes, and to assess the evidence regarding the mediating role of social cognition in the association between early visual processing and functional outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. A comprehensive search across five databases identified 364 potentially eligible studies, with eight articles meeting all inclusion criteria. Meta-analytic techniques were employed to synthesise effect sizes and assess a meta-mediation model. Three random-effects meta-analyses revealed significant associations between all three domains of interest. Social cognition partially mediated the relationship between early visual processing and functional outcomes. The direct effect of early visual processing on functional outcomes remained significant, albeit with a reduced effect size. The findings suggest that interventions targeting both early visual processing and social cognition concurrently may improve functional outcomes more effectively than focusing on either domain alone.
{"title":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of early visual processing, social cognition, and functional outcomes in schizophrenia spectrum disorders","authors":"Akke Ganse-Dumrath , Anya Chohan , Steven Samuel , Paul Bretherton , Corinna Haenschel , Anne-Kathrin Fett","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100351","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100351","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Non-affective psychotic disorders are marked by cognitive and sensory processing abnormalities, including in early visual processing and social cognition. Understanding the relationships between these deficits and their impact on daily-life functional outcomes may help to improve outcomes in affected individuals. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarise the existing evidence on the relationships between early visual processing, social cognition, and functional outcomes, and to assess the evidence regarding the mediating role of social cognition in the association between early visual processing and functional outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. A comprehensive search across five databases identified 364 potentially eligible studies, with eight articles meeting all inclusion criteria. Meta-analytic techniques were employed to synthesise effect sizes and assess a meta-mediation model. Three random-effects meta-analyses revealed significant associations between all three domains of interest. Social cognition partially mediated the relationship between early visual processing and functional outcomes. The direct effect of early visual processing on functional outcomes remained significant, albeit with a reduced effect size. The findings suggest that interventions targeting both early visual processing and social cognition concurrently may improve functional outcomes more effectively than focusing on either domain alone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100351"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143422658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-15DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100353
NingJing Sang , YiMin Fan , HaiYing Chen , HuiRu Cui , YanYan Wei , XiaoChen Tang , LiHua Xu , Yi Mei , JiJun Wang , TianHong Zhang
Background
Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit distinctive patterns of cognitive impairments, which pose difficulties in patients' everyday functionality and reduce patients' quality of life. Previous research suggests that many demographic variables, such as gender and age, influence the cognitive performance profiles of schizophrenia patients; however, the gender differences in neurocognitive dysfunction among first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients remain less clear.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, we compared the cognitive performance of FES patients to that of healthy controls (HC), with a specific focus on gender differences within the Chinese population aged under 35 years. Cognitive performance was assessed using the raw scores from the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB).
Results
FES patients show lower overall cognitive impairment across all MCCB domains compared to HCs. Significant sex effects were observed: females outperformed males in aspects of speed of processing and verbal learning in FES, while males outperformed females in parts of working memory and reasoning and problem solving among HC patients. In both FES and HC groups, females exceeded males in visual learning. Moreover, employing a three-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) displayed interaction effects between gender and clinical diagnosis in areas of speed of processing and verbal learning.
Conclusions
This suggests that schizophrenia and biological sex may jointly influence performance in these domains, emphasizing the need for early intervention and gender-sensitive approaches to address cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
{"title":"Gender differences in cognitive performance among young adults with first-episode schizophrenia in China","authors":"NingJing Sang , YiMin Fan , HaiYing Chen , HuiRu Cui , YanYan Wei , XiaoChen Tang , LiHua Xu , Yi Mei , JiJun Wang , TianHong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit distinctive patterns of cognitive impairments, which pose difficulties in patients' everyday functionality and reduce patients' quality of life. Previous research suggests that many demographic variables, such as gender and age, influence the cognitive performance profiles of schizophrenia patients; however, the gender differences in neurocognitive dysfunction among first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients remain less clear.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this cross-sectional study, we compared the cognitive performance of FES patients to that of healthy controls (HC), with a specific focus on gender differences within the Chinese population aged under 35 years. Cognitive performance was assessed using the raw scores from the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>FES patients show lower overall cognitive impairment across all MCCB domains compared to HCs. Significant sex effects were observed: females outperformed males in aspects of speed of processing and verbal learning in FES, while males outperformed females in parts of working memory and reasoning and problem solving among HC patients. In both FES and HC groups, females exceeded males in visual learning. Moreover, employing a three-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) displayed interaction effects between gender and clinical diagnosis in areas of speed of processing and verbal learning.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This suggests that schizophrenia and biological sex may jointly influence performance in these domains, emphasizing the need for early intervention and gender-sensitive approaches to address cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100353"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143422657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100349
B.C. van Aken , R. Rietveld , A.I. Wierdsma , Y. Voskes , G.H.M. Pijnenborg , J. van Weeghel , C.L. Mulder
Background
Social recovery (SR) in people with psychotic disorders involves taking on social roles and completing daily tasks. Functional recovery (FR), particularly executive functions, is critical for these roles. Psychotic disorder patients often experience severe cognitive impairments, especially in executive functions. This study investigates the relationship between functional and social recovery in individuals with psychotic disorders and examines the effect of employment status on this association.
Method
This cross-sectional study involved people with a psychotic disorder. SR was measured using the WHO-DAS, divided into Daily Functioning (DF) and Social Functioning (SF) scales. FR was measured using the BRIEF-A and the TOL. Employment status was categorized into Non-active, Otherwise Active, and Active. The Likelihood-ratio Test (LRT) was used for model selection.
Results
Data from 251 participants (mean age 41.5) showed that the BRIEF-A affected both DF and SF, while the TOL only affected DF. Only being Otherwise Active influenced DF. Employment status had no influence on SF. Being Otherwise Active positively influenced perceived disabilities in Daily Functioning.
Conclusion
Measuring executive functions using both performance-based and self-report measures is important. Both measures are associated differently with perceived disabilities in daily and social functioning. Being a volunteer or looking for a job positively influences perceived disabilities in Daily Functioning.
{"title":"A cross-sectional study on the association between executive functions and social disabilities in people with a psychotic disorder","authors":"B.C. van Aken , R. Rietveld , A.I. Wierdsma , Y. Voskes , G.H.M. Pijnenborg , J. van Weeghel , C.L. Mulder","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100349","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100349","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Social recovery (SR) in people with psychotic disorders involves taking on social roles and completing daily tasks. Functional recovery (FR), particularly executive functions, is critical for these roles. Psychotic disorder patients often experience severe cognitive impairments, especially in executive functions. This study investigates the relationship between functional and social recovery in individuals with psychotic disorders and examines the effect of employment status on this association.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>This cross-sectional study involved people with a psychotic disorder. SR was measured using the WHO-DAS, divided into Daily Functioning (DF) and Social Functioning (SF) scales. FR was measured using the BRIEF-A and the TOL. Employment status was categorized into Non-active, Otherwise Active, and Active. The Likelihood-ratio Test (LRT) was used for model selection.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Data from 251 participants (mean age 41.5) showed that the BRIEF-A affected both DF and SF, while the TOL only affected DF. Only being Otherwise Active influenced DF. Employment status had no influence on SF. Being Otherwise Active positively influenced perceived disabilities in Daily Functioning.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Measuring executive functions using both performance-based and self-report measures is important. Both measures are associated differently with perceived disabilities in daily and social functioning. Being a volunteer or looking for a job positively influences perceived disabilities in Daily Functioning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100349"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100350
Anja Vaskinn , André Løvgren , Ole A. Andreassen , Kjetil Sundet
In this follow-up study of a previous randomized controlled trial of targeted facial affect recognition training among individuals with schizophrenia, reliable change indices (RCIs) were employed to identify responders to treatment. The original study found improved theory of mind at 3-month follow-up. The current study included 15 participants who received the intervention and who completed all three assessment points in the original study. Six of them had RCIs over the cutoff (≥+1.64), indicating that they had a clinically meaningful and statistically reliable improvement in ToM. The responders had significantly higher psychotic symptom level at baseline, but no other group differences between responders and nonresponders were identified. The study found no support for suggested moderators of treatment effect of social cognitive training (sex, education). As no consistently replicated barriers to treatment gains have been identified, we suggest that social cognitive training, where available, should be offered to interested clients.
{"title":"Social cognitive training among individuals with schizophrenia: Identifying responders to treatment","authors":"Anja Vaskinn , André Løvgren , Ole A. Andreassen , Kjetil Sundet","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100350","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100350","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this follow-up study of a previous randomized controlled trial of targeted facial affect recognition training among individuals with schizophrenia, reliable change indices (RCIs) were employed to identify responders to treatment. The original study found improved theory of mind at 3-month follow-up. The current study included 15 participants who received the intervention and who completed all three assessment points in the original study. Six of them had RCIs over the cutoff (≥+1.64), indicating that they had a clinically meaningful and statistically reliable improvement in ToM. The responders had significantly higher psychotic symptom level at baseline, but no other group differences between responders and nonresponders were identified. The study found no support for suggested moderators of treatment effect of social cognitive training (sex, education). As no consistently replicated barriers to treatment gains have been identified, we suggest that social cognitive training, where available, should be offered to interested clients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100350"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-05DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2025.100347
Aishwarya Raje , Abhijit R. Rozatkar , Urvakhsh Meherwan Mehta , Ritu Shrivastava , Ameya Bondre , Manaal Amir Ahmad , Anshika Malviya , Yogendra Sen , Deepak Tugnawat , Anant Bhan , Tamonud Modak , Nabagata Das , Srilakshmi Nagendra , Erlend Lane , Juan Castillo , John A. Naslund , John Torous , Soumya Choudhary
Introduction
Cognitive deficits represent a core symptom of schizophrenia and a principal contributor to illness disability, yet evaluating cognition in routine clinical settings is often not feasible as cognitive assessments take longer than a standard doctor's visit. Using smartphones to assess cognition in schizophrenia offers the advantages of convenience in that patients can complete assessments outside of the clinic, temporality in that longitudinal trends can be identified, and contextuality in that cognitive scores can be interpreted with other measures captured by the phone (e.g. sleep). The current study aims to design a battery of cognitive assessments corresponding to the MATRICs Consensus Battery of Cognition (MCCB), in partnership with people living with schizophrenia.
Methodology
Focus group discussions (FGDs) and interviews were conducted with people diagnosed with schizophrenia across three sites (Boston, Bhopal, and Bangalore) to help design, refine, and assess the proposed smartphone battery of cognitive tests on the mindLAMP app. Interviews were conducted between December 2023 and March 2024. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze data.
Results
Participants found the app and its proposed cognitive assessments to be acceptable, helpful, and easy to use. They particularly found the gamified nature of the cognitive tests to be appealing and engaging. However, they also proposed ways to further increase engagement by including more information about each cognitive test, more visual instructions, and more information about scoring. Across all sites, there were many similarities in themes.
Discussion & conclusion
People living with schizophrenia, from different sites in the US and India, appear interested in using smartphone apps to track their cognition. Thematic analysis reinforces the importance of feedback and data sharing, although this presents a challenge, given the novel nature of smartphone-based cognitive measures that have not yet been standardized or validated.
{"title":"Designing smartphone-based cognitive assessments for schizophrenia: Perspectives from a multisite study","authors":"Aishwarya Raje , Abhijit R. Rozatkar , Urvakhsh Meherwan Mehta , Ritu Shrivastava , Ameya Bondre , Manaal Amir Ahmad , Anshika Malviya , Yogendra Sen , Deepak Tugnawat , Anant Bhan , Tamonud Modak , Nabagata Das , Srilakshmi Nagendra , Erlend Lane , Juan Castillo , John A. Naslund , John Torous , Soumya Choudhary","doi":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100347","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scog.2025.100347","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Cognitive deficits represent a core symptom of schizophrenia and a principal contributor to illness disability, yet evaluating cognition in routine clinical settings is often not feasible as cognitive assessments take longer than a standard doctor's visit. Using smartphones to assess cognition in schizophrenia offers the advantages of convenience in that patients can complete assessments outside of the clinic, temporality in that longitudinal trends can be identified, and contextuality in that cognitive scores can be interpreted with other measures captured by the phone (e.g. sleep). The current study aims to design a battery of cognitive assessments corresponding to the MATRICs Consensus Battery of Cognition (MCCB), in partnership with people living with schizophrenia.</div></div><div><h3>Methodology</h3><div>Focus group discussions (FGDs) and interviews were conducted with people diagnosed with schizophrenia across three sites (Boston, Bhopal, and Bangalore) to help design, refine, and assess the proposed smartphone battery of cognitive tests on the mindLAMP app. Interviews were conducted between December 2023 and March 2024. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze data.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Participants found the app and its proposed cognitive assessments to be acceptable, helpful, and easy to use. They particularly found the gamified nature of the cognitive tests to be appealing and engaging. However, they also proposed ways to further increase engagement by including more information about each cognitive test, more visual instructions, and more information about scoring. Across all sites, there were many similarities in themes.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion & conclusion</h3><div>People living with schizophrenia, from different sites in the US and India, appear interested in using smartphone apps to track their cognition. Thematic analysis reinforces the importance of feedback and data sharing, although this presents a challenge, given the novel nature of smartphone-based cognitive measures that have not yet been standardized or validated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38119,"journal":{"name":"Schizophrenia Research-Cognition","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100347"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143242305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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