Cognitive functioning related to quality of life in schizophrenia

Mié Matsui*, Tomiki Sumiyoshi, Hirofumi Arai, Yuko Higuchi, Masayoshi Kurachi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

57 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present study compared the cognitive function of patients with schizophrenia to that of healthy subjects, and investigated the relationships between cognitive function and quality of life (QOL). Participants consisted of 53 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and 31 normal controls. All participants completed a neuropsychological test battery assessing executive function, verbal memory, and social knowledge. QOL was rated using the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale. Patients with schizophrenia showed lower performance across various cognitive measures of memory, including the Sentence Memory Test, the Verbal Learning Test, and the Script Test, as well as the Rule Shift Cards Test of executive function. Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the neuropsychological measures and clinical symptoms to predict QOL. The QOL total score, the social initiative score or the empathy score were significantly predicted by the Script or/and the Sentence Memory. Neuropsychological functioning was unrelated to most QOL scores in the presence of clinical symptoms, while ability of empathy in the QOL was predicted by performance of the Sentence Memory Test. These results demonstrated patients with schizophrenia have deficits in executive function, memory and learning, and social knowledge, and that social knowledge and memory are related to QOL. Thus, in patients with schizophrenia, deficits in social knowledge appear to be associated with current QOL in general, and specifically with the capacity for empathy and social initiative.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)280-287
Number of pages8
JournalProgress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
Volume32
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008/01/01

Keywords

  • Executive function
  • Quality of life
  • Schizophrenia
  • Social knowledge
  • Verbal memory

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pharmacology
  • Biological Psychiatry

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