[Neuropsychological changes in schizophrenia and its modification]. / Alteraciones neuropsicológicas en la esquizofrenia y su modificación.

The main experimental works about neuropsychological impairments of schizophrenia are reviewed. The underlying mechanisms of the cognitive deficits are set in a framework of the limited capacity model. In second point, the current status of the modificability of the cognitive deficits and the clinical and psychosocial consequences of this deficits are presented. At least, neuropsychological rehabilitation programs are reviewed from a clinical point of view.

Psychopathology and wisconsin card sorting test performance in young unmedicated schizophrenic patients.

The relationship between psychopathology and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) performance was evaluated in 25 unmedicated young acute schizophrenic female patients (14 neuroleptic-naive and 11 neuroleptic-free) and 15 female controls. The schizophrenic patients (especially the neuroleptic-free) performed more poorly than controls in the WCST. In addition, WCST impairment correlated with both negative and positive symptoms. The results suggest that the neuropsychological dysfunction in schizophrenia is present at the onset of the illness, and is neither secondary to previous neuroleptic treatment nor to chronicity of the illness.

[Neuropsychological alteration in schizophrenia and its modification]. / Alteraciones neuropsicológicas en la esquizofrenia y su modificación.

The main experimental works about neuropsychological impairments of schizophrenia are reviewed. The underlying mechanisms of the cognitive deficits are set in a framework of the limited capacity model. In second point, the current status of the modificability of the cognitive deficits and the clinical and psychosocial consequences of this deficits are presented. At least, neuropsychological rehabilitation programs are reviewed from a clinical point of view.

The resting and activation issue of hypofrontality: a single photon emission computed tomography study in neuroleptic-naive and neuroleptic-free schizophrenic female patients.

BACKGROUND: Functional neuroimaging findings of "hypofrontality" in schizophrenic patients is still controversial, due to the heterogeneity of methods and patient samples. This study tries to prevent some of these concerns by studying neuroleptic-naive (NN) and neuroleptic-free (NF) young female patients both in resting conditions and during a frontal cognitive activation task. METHODS: Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was studied at rest and during the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in 25 young acute unmedicated schizophrenic female patients (14 NN and 11 NF) and 15 female controls, using single photon emission computed tomography. RESULTS: The schizophrenic and control groups did not differ in rCBF during the baseline condition, but the schizophrenic group failed to activate the frontal lobe during the WCST condition. In addition, the left anterior temporal rCBF at rest correlated with the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms total score. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that hypofrontality in young acute unmedicated schizophrenic patients is a result of an inability to activate frontal regions during cognition, rather than a baseline decrease in frontal activity. Furthermore, positive symptoms seem to be associated with left temporal cortex activity.

Role of the cingulate gyrus during the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: a single photon emission computed tomography study in normal volunteers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) on frontal regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in normal subjects, separating the cingulate gyrus from the prefrontal cortex. Two technetium-99m-hexamethyl-propylene-amine-oxime brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans, at rest and during WCST performance, were performed in randomized order on 13 right-handed normal volunteers. A statistically significant rCBF increase was found in the left inferior cingulate and the left posterior frontal region, although rCBF ratios in the left and right prefrontal cortex, and in the right inferior cingulate, were slightly higher during WCST performance in nine of the 13 subjects studied. No differences in activation scores (activated-resting rCBF ratios) were found between subjects who had the resting SPECT first and subjects who had the resting condition second. These results suggest that the inferior cingulate cortex, a limbic region that has been implicated in attentional mechanisms, plays a significant role in WCST performance. Furthermore, the motor component of the WCST may account for the activation of the left posterior frontal region. In addition, no order effect was found in this study. These findings illustrate the advantage of independently evaluating the cingulate gyrus and the prefrontal cortex in SPECT studies of frontal cognitive function.

[Patterns of the use of electroconvulsive therapy in Barcelona]. / Patrones de uso de la terapéutica electroconvulsiva en Barcelona.

BACKGROUND: To study the prevalence of use and the characteristics of current utilization of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in Barcelona. METHODS: A descriptive study was carried out in August of 1993. A structured interview designed by the authors was administered to psychiatrists in 20 hospitals, including general hospitals with Department of Psychiatry and psychiatric hospitals. RESULTS: In 12 hospitals of the sample (60%) ECT was practised. The most frequent indication was depression (83%) followed by schizophrenia (17%). In all these hospitals pharmacological treatment was simultaneously used and the application of electrodes was bilateral. Most of them used stimulation by sinusoidal wave, thiopental was used as anesthetic agent, the duration of seizures was not evaluated, EEG monitoring was not performed and treatment in a surgeon's room was not applied. In 10 hospitals written consent was obtained. CONCLUSIONS: ECT was used in general hospitals with psychiatric department of Barcelona, Spain, with high coincidence in indications but not in the technical aspects.