Cool executive function before and after the treatment in drug-naive, first-episode schizophrenia patients / 实用医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the cool execution function (CEF)and its influence factors before and after treatment in drug-na?ve, first-episode schizophrenics. Methods Twenty-one drug-naive, first-episode schizophrenics (patients group) and 25 healthy persons (control group) were interviewed by using the SCID. The severity of clinical symptoms was respectively assessed in patient group before treatment and after 8 weeks using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The Trail-Marking Test A-B (TMT A-B) and Hanoi Tower Test (HTT) were conducted to assess cool executive function. Reaction time and the number of errors of TMT A-B’s and HTT’s reaction time and operative steps were recorded. Results Before treatment, the patient group’s reaction time was longer in HTT and TMT A-B than that in the control group's (P = 0.013;P = 0.000;P =0.001), respectively. Error number of TMT-B in the patient group was more than that in the control group (P =0.015); The operative steps of HTT and error number of TMT A were no statistical difference than those in the control group. After treatment, reaction time of TMT A reduced significantly than before treatment (P = 0.002);Before and after treatment , patients ’ reaction time of HTT and TMT B , operative steps of HTT and the error number of TMT A-B were all no statistical difference. Running multiple linear regression , reaction times of TMT-B was positively correlated with negative symptoms (β = 7.198,P = 0.012), and the error number of it was positively correlated with positive symptoms (β = 0.382,P = 0.024). Conclusions CEF in patients with drug-naive, first-episode schizophrenia is affected in a certain degree, especially the flexibility and attention transfer. Symptoms is the most serious influence factors. Treatment in sympotoms earlier is the important way to protect cool cognition.