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. 2009 Jan;107(1):69-75.
doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2008.07.014. Epub 2008 Sep 10.

Bridging the gap between schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders: Relating neurocognitive deficits to psychopathology

Matthew J Smith  1 , Deanna M Barch, John G Csernansky
Affiliations

Bridging the gap between schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders: Relating neurocognitive deficits to psychopathology

Matthew J Smith et al. Schizophr Res. 2009 Jan.

Abstract

Background: The neurobiological relationship between schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders is not well understood. Neurocognitive deficits have been described in both types of disorders and have been proposed to reflect underlying neurobiological dysfunction. Examining the relationship between neurocognitive function and psychopathology could help illuminate the neurobiological relationship between schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders.

Methods: Participants included 72 individuals with DSM-IV schizophrenia, 25 individuals with schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder with psychotic features, and 72 community controls. Standardized scores and correlations between four domains of neurocognition and psychopathology were examined.

Results: Individuals with schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders scored similarly on several dimensions of neurocognitive function and psychopathology. The relationships between neurocognitive function and psychopathology were similar in the two groups.

Conclusions: Individuals with schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders were similar in terms of both the level of impairment in neurocognitive function and psychopathology, as well as in the relationship between the two dimensions of illness. These results suggest that schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders such as schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder with psychotic features are on a neurobiological continuum.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors report no competing interests. Dr. Csernansky has received research grants from the NIMH and NIA, royalties from Medtronic for a patent held jointly with Washington University School of Medicine, has been a paid consultant for Eli Lilly and Sanofi-Aventis, and has received speaker’s honoraria from Janssen Pharmaceutica, Eli Lilly and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Post Hoc Analysis of Negative Symptom Global Ratings
aF2,110=14.95, p<.001. bF2,110=9.43, p<.001. cF2,110=10.00, p<.001. dF2,110=7.74, p=.001.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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