Effects of amphetamine on visuospatial working memory performance in schizophrenia spectrum personality disorder

Our objective was to determine if amphetamine improves visuospatial working memory. which is impaired in the schizophrenia spectrum and may be modulat ed by dopamine in prefrontal cortex. To this end, oral amphetamine (30 mg) was administered to 12 patients with schizophrenia spectrum personality dis orders and 13 patients with other, nonschizophrenia-related personality dis orders. Visuospatial working memory was assessed using the Dot test; a test in which subjects are asked to memorize and reproduce the position of a do t on a sheet of paper. Patients with schizophrenia spectrum personality dis orders performed significantly worse than the comparison group in the place bo condition and showed significantly greater improvement after amphetamine , as compared to a nonschizophrenia-related personality disorder comparison group. Patients with greatest impairment at baseline improved most. Amphet amine tended to improve negative symptoms; whereas, positive symptoms remai ned unchanged. Amphetamine may improve visuospatial working memory in schiz ophrenia spectrum patients. [Neuropsychopharmalogy 22:14-18, 2000] (C) 1999 American College of neuropsychopharmacology. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.