OBJECTIVE: The evidence for verbal working memory deficits in schizophrenia has been inconsistent. Few studies have evaluated verbal working memory in the first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients, who likely share the genetic diathesis for schizophrenia but not the potential confounds associated with chronic mental illness. METHOD: The Wechsler Digit Span Task was used to investigate verbal working memory in 52 schizophrenia patients, 56 of their first-degree relatives, and 73 nonpsychiatric comparison subjects. RESULTS: The nonpsychotic relatives showed no impairment on the forward digit span task, a measure of general attention, but did show impairment on the backward digit span task, a measure of verbal working memory. Schizophrenia patients showed impairment on both the forward and backward digit span tasks. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the forward and backward digit span tasks tap different cognitive abilities that are differentially associated with the diathesis for schizophrenia. Working memory deficits associated with schizophrenia appear to be generalized and not limited to the spatial modality.
OBJECTIVE: The evidence for verbal working memory deficits in schizophrenia has been inconsistent. Few studies have evaluated verbal working memory in the first-degree relatives of schizophreniapatients, who likely share the genetic diathesis for schizophrenia but not the potential confounds associated with chronic mental illness. METHOD: The Wechsler Digit Span Task was used to investigate verbal working memory in 52 schizophreniapatients, 56 of their first-degree relatives, and 73 nonpsychiatric comparison subjects. RESULTS: The nonpsychotic relatives showed no impairment on the forward digit span task, a measure of general attention, but did show impairment on the backward digit span task, a measure of verbal working memory. Schizophreniapatients showed impairment on both the forward and backward digit span tasks. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the forward and backward digit span tasks tap different cognitive abilities that are differentially associated with the diathesis for schizophrenia. Working memory deficits associated with schizophrenia appear to be generalized and not limited to the spatial modality.
Authors: Anissa Abi-Dargham; Osama Mawlawi; Ilise Lombardo; Roberto Gil; Diana Martinez; Yiyun Huang; Dah-Ren Hwang; John Keilp; Lisa Kochan; Ronald Van Heertum; Jack M Gorman; Marc Laruelle Journal: J Neurosci Date: 2002-05-01 Impact factor: 6.167
Authors: C Sfagos; C C Papageorgiou; K K Kosma; E Kodopadelis; N K Uzunoglu; D Vassilopoulos; A D Rabavilas Journal: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry Date: 2003-09 Impact factor: 10.154
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