- Email: [email protected]
Cognitive and neuropsychological functioning in schizophrenic- and ADHD-adolescents
132
SYNDROMES OF PSYCHOSIS-PRONENESS AND DYSLEXIA: RELATIONS WITH HEMISPHERE
FUNCTION
used. Preliminary results from comparisons of the three groups of subjects on a selected sample of tests will be presented.
AND VISUAL
PROCESSING A.J. R i c h a r d s o n
THE NATURE OF MEMORY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA
Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, St. Dunstan's Road, London W6 8RP, UK
T.M. Rushe*, P.W.R. Woodruff, R.M. M u r r a y , R.G. M o r r i s
Schizophrenia and dyslexia are both associated with anomalous cerebral lateralization. The usual leftward asymmetry of the planum temporale is reduced or reversed in dyslexics, and recent planum temporale is reduced or reversed in dyslexics, and recent reports suggest the same in schizophrenics. Both groups show excess non-right-handedness, and unusual lateralization of cognitive and perceptual functions. Furthermore, both disorders are of neurodevelopmental origin, are more common in males, and are associated with disorders of attention, visual and language processing, eye movements and fine motor control. These common features, and the fact that an excess of dyslexia is found in schizophrenics' relatives, suggest a possible relationship in terms of biological predisposition. The similarities extend to phenomenology: dyslexics report perceptual and cognitive anomalies resembling milder forms of positive schizophrenic symptoms. Data reported here confirm that dyslexics score highly on scales assessing "positive" (but not "negative") syndromes of schizotypy or "psychosis-proneness". Furthermore, experimental studies show that these traits in non-dyslexics are associated with the same anomalies of visual (magnocellular) processing and hemisphere function that are found in dyslexics themselves. This strong association between dyslexia and "positive" schizotypy offers an important guide to future research into the nature and etiology of different syndromes of psychosisproneness.
Dept. of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
COGNITIVE AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING IN SCHIZOPHRENICAND ADHD-ADOLESCENTS
IMPAIRMENT
Many studies have reported memory deficits in schizophrenia, however the nature of the memory impairment remains unclear. In the present study tests of recency memory, recognition memory, immediate memory, verbal and visuospatial memory and learning and conditional associative learning were administered to 50 patients with schizophrenia and 60 age and education matched controls. Patients showed a selective impairment in verbal and visuospatial memory and learning compared with other memory functions. Recency memory and recognition memory was not impaired in the patient group and while immediate memory and conditional associative learning was impaired relative to controls, they were not found to be selective deficits. Comparison with clinical neuropsychological studies suggest that the observed pattern of memory impairment in schizophrenia is comparable to the memory disturbances associated with bilateral temporal lobe dysfunction, and not with that associated with frontal, parietal or lateralized temporal lobe dysfunction. The selectivity of the deficit argues against the hypotheses that memory disturbances in schizophrenia can be accounted for in terms of attentional and executive deficits. These findings are however consistent with the hypothesised importance of understanding the temporal lobes in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
B.R. R u n d * , M. Oie, K. Sundet, P. Zeiner, G. B r y h n
A LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP OF IQ IN A SAMPLE OF ADULT SCHIZOPHRENICS WHO PRESENTED TO PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES DURING CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
National Centre for ChiM and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 26, Vinderen, 0317 Oslo, Norway
A.J. Russell*, J. M u n r o , P.B. Jones, D.H. Hemsley, R.M. M u r r a y
Attention deficits and neuropsychological impairments are defining characteristics in schizophrenics as well as ADHD patients. Comparison of these two groups has only to a very limited degree been carried out. In the present study 20 earlyonset schizophrenics, aged 12 to 18 years, have been compared to 20 ADHD adolescents matched for age, sex and education. A control group of 30 healthy subjects (according to CBCL) has also been examined. A broad test battery consisting of sustained, focused and divided attention tasks, as well as more standard neuropsychological tests and clinical assessments were
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK It is unclear as to whether the well-established impairment in intellectual functioning of adult schizophrenics should be thought of as a decline attributable to the disease process or whether it is a premorbid deficit which contains some aetiological significance for the disorder. This study is a longitudinal follow-up of IQ in a sample of 55 adult schizophrenics who presented to psychiatric services
SYNDROMES OF PSYCHOSIS-PRONENESS AND DYSLEXIA: RELATIONS WITH HEMISPHERE
FUNCTION
used. Preliminary results from comparisons of the three groups of subjects on a selected sample of tests will be presented.
AND VISUAL
PROCESSING A.J. R i c h a r d s o n
THE NATURE OF MEMORY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA
Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, St. Dunstan's Road, London W6 8RP, UK
T.M. Rushe*, P.W.R. Woodruff, R.M. M u r r a y , R.G. M o r r i s
Schizophrenia and dyslexia are both associated with anomalous cerebral lateralization. The usual leftward asymmetry of the planum temporale is reduced or reversed in dyslexics, and recent planum temporale is reduced or reversed in dyslexics, and recent reports suggest the same in schizophrenics. Both groups show excess non-right-handedness, and unusual lateralization of cognitive and perceptual functions. Furthermore, both disorders are of neurodevelopmental origin, are more common in males, and are associated with disorders of attention, visual and language processing, eye movements and fine motor control. These common features, and the fact that an excess of dyslexia is found in schizophrenics' relatives, suggest a possible relationship in terms of biological predisposition. The similarities extend to phenomenology: dyslexics report perceptual and cognitive anomalies resembling milder forms of positive schizophrenic symptoms. Data reported here confirm that dyslexics score highly on scales assessing "positive" (but not "negative") syndromes of schizotypy or "psychosis-proneness". Furthermore, experimental studies show that these traits in non-dyslexics are associated with the same anomalies of visual (magnocellular) processing and hemisphere function that are found in dyslexics themselves. This strong association between dyslexia and "positive" schizotypy offers an important guide to future research into the nature and etiology of different syndromes of psychosisproneness.
Dept. of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
COGNITIVE AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING IN SCHIZOPHRENICAND ADHD-ADOLESCENTS
IMPAIRMENT
Many studies have reported memory deficits in schizophrenia, however the nature of the memory impairment remains unclear. In the present study tests of recency memory, recognition memory, immediate memory, verbal and visuospatial memory and learning and conditional associative learning were administered to 50 patients with schizophrenia and 60 age and education matched controls. Patients showed a selective impairment in verbal and visuospatial memory and learning compared with other memory functions. Recency memory and recognition memory was not impaired in the patient group and while immediate memory and conditional associative learning was impaired relative to controls, they were not found to be selective deficits. Comparison with clinical neuropsychological studies suggest that the observed pattern of memory impairment in schizophrenia is comparable to the memory disturbances associated with bilateral temporal lobe dysfunction, and not with that associated with frontal, parietal or lateralized temporal lobe dysfunction. The selectivity of the deficit argues against the hypotheses that memory disturbances in schizophrenia can be accounted for in terms of attentional and executive deficits. These findings are however consistent with the hypothesised importance of understanding the temporal lobes in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
B.R. R u n d * , M. Oie, K. Sundet, P. Zeiner, G. B r y h n
A LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP OF IQ IN A SAMPLE OF ADULT SCHIZOPHRENICS WHO PRESENTED TO PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES DURING CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
National Centre for ChiM and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 26, Vinderen, 0317 Oslo, Norway
A.J. Russell*, J. M u n r o , P.B. Jones, D.H. Hemsley, R.M. M u r r a y
Attention deficits and neuropsychological impairments are defining characteristics in schizophrenics as well as ADHD patients. Comparison of these two groups has only to a very limited degree been carried out. In the present study 20 earlyonset schizophrenics, aged 12 to 18 years, have been compared to 20 ADHD adolescents matched for age, sex and education. A control group of 30 healthy subjects (according to CBCL) has also been examined. A broad test battery consisting of sustained, focused and divided attention tasks, as well as more standard neuropsychological tests and clinical assessments were
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK It is unclear as to whether the well-established impairment in intellectual functioning of adult schizophrenics should be thought of as a decline attributable to the disease process or whether it is a premorbid deficit which contains some aetiological significance for the disorder. This study is a longitudinal follow-up of IQ in a sample of 55 adult schizophrenics who presented to psychiatric services