382 – Negative symptoms and verbal memory as predictors of psychosocial functioning in young patients with schizophrenia

ABSTRACTS / Schizophrenia Research 98 (2008) 3–199 Methods: Nineteen patients with schizophrenia, 18 of their unaffected fathers and 17 of their unaffected mothers were assessed in the Picture Sequencing Task consisting of ToM stories, cause and effect, socialscript and capture stories (Langdon et al., 1997), in neuropsychological function, compared to 21 healthy controls, 21 of their healthy control fathers, 21 of their healthy control mothers. Two conditions were used in order to assess the task: a) accuracy indexing the ability to sequence each story correctly and b) performance reflecting the time each subject took to sequence each story. Results: Patients sequenced the ToM stories correctly, but they took more time to complete the task than healthy controls. These impairments disappeared after controlling for current IQ. Patients did not show any impairment in performance and accuracy of cause and effect and social script stories. Patients sequenced the capture stories correctly. Both unaffected parents did not show any impairment in ToM accuracy, but they took more time to complete the task than healthy control parents. These impairments disappeared after controlling for current IQ. Both unaffected parents did not show any impairment in understanding cause and effect and capture stories. Unaffected mothers did not show any impairment in performance and accuracy of social script stories. Unaffected fathers understanding of social script stories was preserved, but they took more time to complete the task independently of IQ. Conclusions: Decrements in speed of processing influenced patients' and their unaffected parents' ability to sequence ToM stories efficiently. The lack of dissociation between ToM and current IQ suggests that a compensation strategy was necessary in order to process efficiently the ToM task both in patients and their unaffected parents. The present data do not support the hypothesis of ToM impairment as a potential endophenotype of schizophrenia.

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2007.12.448

Methods: A sample of 15 adolescents and young outpatients (mean age 18.8 ± 2.7, 6 female) with negative schizophrenia (mean PANSS-C − 12.1 ± 5.9) were included. All patients were clinically and pharmacologically stabilized for at least 6 weeks. Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale were used to rate symptoms' level (PANSS). Vocabulary subtest of Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale-III was used to estimate IQ. Delayed recall of Logical Memory subtest (Weschler Memory Scale-III) was used to assess memory deficits (MD) (T-scores differences between estimated IQ and memory recall). Life Skills Profile (LSP) was used to study psychosocial functioning. Results: Significant Pearson's correlations (p b 0.05) were found between LSP scores and PANSS-N (r = −0.74) and MD (r = − 0.54). IQ was not significantly correlated with LSP (r = − 0.16). Linear regression analyses with LSP as dependent variable showed significant models with adjusted R squares of 0.51 for negative symptoms and 0.24 for memory deficits. Conclusions: Negative symptoms emerged as principal factor to explain psychosocial functioning in our young sample. Memory deficits were also a significant factor but their predictive value was lower. Limitations were small sample size and possible non-controlled overlap between negative scale and memory dysfunction.

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2007.12.449

383 – COGNITIVE AND MOTOR INTERFERENCE IN PATIENTS WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS C.H. Roder 1, A. Sterrenburg 1, F.M. Van Der Veen 1, J. Rickelt 1, J.M. Van Beveren 1. 1

382 – NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS AND VERBAL MEMORY AS PREDICTORS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING IN YOUNG PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA O. Puig 1, R. Penadés 2, S. Andrés 1, I. Baeza 1, E. De La Serna 1, L. Lázaro 1, J. Castro-Fornieles 1. 1 Department of Child and Adolescents Psychiatry and Psychology, Neurosciences Institute, Hospital Universitari Clínic, Barcelona, Spain 2 Department of Clinical Psychology, Neurosciences Institute, Hospital Universitari Clínic, Barcelona, Spain

Presenting Author details: [email protected] Villaroel 170, 08170 Barcelona, Spain, Tel.: +34 93 2279979. Background: Negative symptoms and verbal memory has been stressed as main predictors of psychosocial functioning in adult schizophrenia. Adolescents' samples also showed memory dysfunctions and high levels of negative symptoms but implications on psychosocial functioning are not well known. The aim was to analyze relationship between negative symptoms and memory deficits with psychosocial functioning in young schizophrenic patients with predominant negative symptoms.

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Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC Rotterdam, Netherlands

Presenting Author details: [email protected] Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, Netherlands, Tel.: +31 10 4635864; fax: +31 10 4633217. Background: Disturbances in visual attention and emotional regulation are repeatedly reported in schizophrenic patients (SC). In this study we examined SC (duration of illness less than 3 years) and matched healthy controls (HC) with an adapted Simon Task (1) and an emotional Stroop Task to determine the effect of emotion and social perception. Objective: Does emotional content of stimuli and social perception influence cognitive and motor processing in SC. Methods: Computer-based versions of the Stroop and Simon tasks were presented. Next to the classical Stroop task (congruent/ incongruent color words) a sample of emotional words were implemented. The Simon task used colored squares and circles as stimuli surrounded by frames (rectangles/ellipse). Circles surrounded by ellipses mimicked eyes with different gaze directions. Subjects were instructed to push a button with the right hand for one color and another button with the left hand for the other color. Results: Stroop task: We found a main effect (p b .001) for reaction time (RT) and group, and a group x task interaction (p = .002). Patients had a lower classical Stroop effect and showed no differences in RT for the emotional words, while healthy controls showed an increased reaction time for negative words. Simon task: The two conditions (square/circle) were analyzed separately. For both task a main effect for group (p b .01) was found, but only in the eye