Memory and executive function impairments in deficit syndrome schizophrenia.

The relationship between deficit syndrome schizophrenia, as determined by the Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome, and impairments in memory and executive function was investigated by administering the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test, and the Wechsler Memory Scales to outpatients with deficit (n=33) and non-deficit (n=57) syndrome. A factor analysis of test variables revealed three factors: executive functioning; simple verbal memory; and semantic verbal memory. Results indicated that the deficit group performed significantly worse on the executive functioning factor, but not on either of the verbal memory factors. These findings support the hypothesis that deficit syndrome schizophrenia represents a specific cognitive impairment in executive processing and not necessarily graver global cognitive impairment.