POOR MEMORY, NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS AND ABNORMAL MOVEMENTS IN NEVER-TREATED INDIAN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Background Cognitive impairment, frequently found in patients with sch izophrenia, may be associated with negative symptoms and dyskinesia. H owever, antipsychotic medication may be a confounding variable. These putative associations may be clarified by examining never-treated pati ents. Method Never-treated elderly schizophrenic patients (n = 19) liv ing in south-east India were compared with treated patients (n = 25) a nd normal subjects (n = 55). Memory was assessed by the Wechsler Memor y Scale, negative symptoms by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale , and dyskinesia by the Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale. Results Normal subjects had a higher mean memory quotient than patients. There were no significant differences between never-treated and treated pat ients. Negative symptoms were associated with a poorer memory in the n ever-treated group. There was no association between memory and dyskin esia. Conclusions There is an association in never-treated patients be tween a poorer memory and negative symptoms, but not between a poorer memory and dyskinesia.