The Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS) in schizophrenia and its relation to functional outcomes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish further the validity of the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS) in a population with schizophrenia. Specific objectives were: to examine the construct validity and sensitivity of the BADS in differentiating between adult inpatients during an acute episode of illness, adult outpatients in the chronic stages of illness, and healthy controls; and to examine the predictive validity of the BADS regarding functional outcomes within the chronic group. Participants were 30 inpatients during an acute episode of their illness; 31 outpatients in the chronic stage; and 93 healthy controls. Instruments included the BADS, the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (Cognistat) and the Routine Task Inventory (RTI). Significant differences in BADS scores were found between participants with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and between both groups of patients, showing the chronic group to have more deficits in executive functions. In addition, within the chronic group the BADS was found to be a significant predictor of two of the RTI outcome areas, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and communication, beyond that accounted for by basic cognitive skills. These results support the validity of the BADS within the schizophrenic population, and highlight the importance of measuring executive functions for rehabilitation.