Neurocognitive predictors of remission of symptoms and social and role functioning in the early course of first-episode schizophrenia.

In a Norwegian ongoing longitudinal study, we investigate the neurocognitive development in first-episode schizophrenia patients, and the influence of neurocognition on remission and real life functioning. In the present study, results from the early course of illness are reported. The sample includes 28 schizophrenia spectrum patients and 28 pairwise matched healthy controls. The patients were recruited from mental health service institutions and data on psychosocial functioning, remission and neurocognition were obtained through a clinical interview, an inventory on social and role functioning, operational criteria of remission, and a standardized neurocognitive test battery, the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Large effect size differences between patients and controls were observed at baseline on every cognitive domain, as well as statistically significant improvements on overall cognitive function at follow-up for the patient group. A remission rate of 61% was found. The neurocognitive baseline measure of Attention significantly predicted remission status at follow-up, whereas Attention and Working Memory at baseline predicted levels of social and role functioning. In the early course of the illness, more than half of the group of first-episode patients were in remission, and neurocognitive functions are significantly associated with both remission of symptoms and social and role functioning.

Visual backward-masking performance in a longitudinal study of early onset schizophrenia.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of visual backward-masking (VBM) in patients with early onset schizophrenia (EOS, n=28) compared to healthy controls (n=80) at baseline and at one- and two-year follow-ups. Seventeen patients and 40 controls performed a VBM task at all three sessions, which included five different interstimuli intervals (ISI) at 16.5, 33.5, 49.5, 116 and 166ms, and an additional no-masking control task. Patients with EOS revealed no impairment of VBM performance at baseline and at the two follow-ups compared to healthy controls at one- and two-year follow-ups. However, the patients demonstrated a deficit of simple early visual processing. Both groups showed effects of development over a period of 24 months for the shortest ISIs.

Modification of performance on the Span of Apprehension Task in a group of young people with early onset psychosis.

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of contingent monetary reinforcement and enhanced instructions on Span of Apprehension (SPAN) performance in a group of young people with early onset psychosis. Twenty-five participants (mean age 16.7) received a 3- and 12-letter version of the SPAN task six times: baseline, three x intervention, post-test, and 10-day follow-up. No significant effects of time were found in the 3-letter condition, indicating a ceiling effect for accuracy. In the 12-letter condition detection rates improved significantly reaching a maximum at the third intervention (p < 0.001). Performance showed a temporary decline at post-test, but performance returned to the maximum level at the 10-day follow-up. The study suggests that SPAN performance can be improved in young people with early onset psychosis using relatively simple interventions and that performance gains are relatively durable.