COGNITIVE DEFICITS AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN ELDERLY SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

The authors investigated the syndromal and cognitive profiles of 25 DS M-III-R older schizophrenic inpatients with continuous acute psychotic symptoms and compared them with 20 younger schizophrenic patients by means of a multidimensional assessment battery. Subjects were medicall y well and without neurological comorbidity and were comparable in len gth of current hospitalization and medication regimens. There were no significant differences between the two groups on various symptom rati ng scores or on neurological variables. The older group's mean scores for various cognitive measures did not reach the value for senile deme ntia. They also scored significantly better on a memory test and on fo rmal cognitive functions. These findings support the notion of a stabl e encephalopathy, rather than a dementia-like process, underlying the course of the illness. Authors discussed limitations and implications of these findings.