Cognitive decline in schizophrenics with Alzheimer's disease: A mini-review of neuropsychological and neuropathological studies

1. Cognitive decline in elderly schizophrenic patients is an important clin ical symptom, but it is often difficult to analyze in detail due to the pat ient's original residual psychotic symptoms. 2. In this article, the authors provide neuropsychological and neuropatholo gical research information about cognitive decline in elderly schizophrenic patients, especially with reference to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuropsyc hological and neuropathological reports about cognitive impairments are rev iewed. The effect of long-term antipsychotic medication upon cognitive func tion is also discussed. 3. As a result, it is apparent that elderly schizophrenic patients often sh ow cognitive impairments, however, such impairments do not have the charact eristics of progressive degenerative illnesses such as AD, and the speed of their progress is very slow. Neuropathological studies have shown that AD brain pathology appears no more frequently among schizophrenic patients tha n in the normal population. 4. Since making a diagnosis. of AD means that the progressive deterioration not only of cognitive function, but also of physical ability, paralleling the degeneration of the central nervous system, can be expected within a fe w years and appropriate care will be required. One should be very cautious in adding a diagnosis of AD to elderly schizophrenic patients with cognitiv e impairments.