NEUROLEPTIC EFFECTS ON NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST-PERFORMANCE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

The present study assessed the effects of neuroleptic medication on te sts sensitive to frontal and non-frontal lobe function in schizophreni c patients. A test-retest design before and after initiation of neurol eptic treatment was used. The performance of schizophrenics was compar ed with that of matched normal controls. Schizophrenics performed more poorly than controls on most tests at both first and second testing. Patients' performance improved significantly between the test and the retest on the digit symbol subtest of the WAIS-R and on the Stroop 'co lor naming' subtest. Similarly, performance on the verbal fluency test and on the Rey complex figure recall tended to be better at the retes t, although not significantly. The deficit on the Wisconsin Card Sorti ng Test (WCST) remained stable over time in patients. The results sugg est that neuroleptics give no negative effects on cognitive functionin g in schizophrenics.