Comparison of Cognitive Control Deficits in Patients with Schizophrenia and Their Unaffected First-Degree Relatives / 신경정신의학

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the differences in the profiles of cognitive control deficits among schizophrenic patients and endophenotypes. METHODS: The study examined three groups remitted patients with schizophrenia (n=54), unaffected first-degree relatives of the probands with schizophrenia (n=36), and a healthy control group (n=51), which were all matched for age, sex, and years of education. The AX version of the continuous performance test was used to examine cognitive control. The error rate, correct response times of each subset (AX, BX, AY, BY), and d′ as an indication of the accuracy sensitivity index were calculated. The psychopathology, intelligence, and psychomotor speed were also assessed. RESULTS: Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly poorer error rates and d′ in the AX and BX subsets than the others. They showed more delayed correct response times than the healthy control group in all subsets. The first-degree relatives also showed more delayed correct response times in the BX and AY subsets than the healthy control group, but were similar to the patients. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that cognitive control is impaired in schizophrenia and endophynotypes possibly share this delayed information processing from the higher loading states of cognitive control.