BACKGROUND: Our goal was to examine spatial working memory function in relation to clinical symptoms of schizophrenia over a period of 4 months. METHODS: We assessed spatial working memory, spatial detection and clinical symptoms in 34 acutely psychotic schizophrenia patients within the first 2 weeks of hospitalization, and 4 months later. Spatial working memory was assessed by a delayed response task. A spatial control task was included to rule out simple sensorimotor deficits. Positive and negative symptoms were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Thirty-nine matched normal control subjects were also examined on the same tasks over the same period. RESULTS: Patients showed deficits in working memory, but they performed well on the spatial control task. Both positive and negative symptoms improved at the 4-month follow up. Spatial working memory also improved over time but there was still a significant deficit at the follow-up session. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that both symptoms and spatial working memory improved 4 months after the initial hospitalization but spatial working memory, hypothesized to be mediated by the dorsolateral prefrontal system, did not normalize. Thus, spatial working memory deficit may be a stable marker for schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND: Our goal was to examine spatial working memory function in relation to clinical symptoms of schizophrenia over a period of 4 months. METHODS: We assessed spatial working memory, spatial detection and clinical symptoms in 34 acutely psychotic schizophreniapatients within the first 2 weeks of hospitalization, and 4 months later. Spatial working memory was assessed by a delayed response task. A spatial control task was included to rule out simple sensorimotor deficits. Positive and negative symptoms were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Thirty-nine matched normal control subjects were also examined on the same tasks over the same period. RESULTS:Patients showed deficits in working memory, but they performed well on the spatial control task. Both positive and negative symptoms improved at the 4-month follow up. Spatial working memory also improved over time but there was still a significant deficit at the follow-up session. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that both symptoms and spatial working memory improved 4 months after the initial hospitalization but spatial working memory, hypothesized to be mediated by the dorsolateral prefrontal system, did not normalize. Thus, spatial working memory deficit may be a stable marker for schizophrenia.
Authors: Joachim Klosterkötter; Stephan Ruhrmann; Frauke Schultze-Lutter; Raimo K R Salokangas; Don Linszen; Max Birchwood; Georg Juckel; Anthony Morrison; José Luis Vázquèz-Barquero; Martin Hambrecht; Heinrich VON Reventlow Journal: World Psychiatry Date: 2005-10 Impact factor: 49.548
Authors: A V Terry; S E Warner; L Vandenhuerk; A Pillai; S P Mahadik; G Zhang; M G Bartlett Journal: Neuroscience Date: 2008-08-27 Impact factor: 3.590
Authors: Shashwath A Meda; Manish Bhattarai; Nicholas A Morris; Robert S Astur; Vince D Calhoun; Daniel H Mathalon; Kent A Kiehl; Godfrey D Pearlson Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2008-08-03 Impact factor: 4.939