Psychopathology and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance in young unmedicated schizophrenic patients

The relationship between psychopathology and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (W CST) performance was evaluated in 25 unmedicated young acute schizophrenic female patients (14 neuroleptic-naive and 11 neuroleptic-free) and 15 femal e controls, The schizophrenic patients (especially the neuroleptic-free) pe rformed more poorly than controls in the WCST. In addition, WCST impairment correlated with both negative and positive symptoms. The results suggest t hat the neuropsychological dysfunction in schizophrenia is present at the o nset of the illness, and is neither secondary to previous neuroleptic treat ment nor to chronicity of the illness. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Bas el.