A multisite study of the overlap between symptoms and cognition in schizophrenia: Une étude multicentrique sur le chevauchement entre les symptômes et les troubles cognitifs chez les personnes atteintes de schizophrénie.
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| Title: | A multisite study of the overlap between symptoms and cognition in schizophrenia: Une étude multicentrique sur le chevauchement entre les symptômes et les troubles cognitifs chez les personnes atteintes de schizophrénie. |
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| Authors: | Skiba, Rafal M. (AUTHOR), Chinchani, Abhijit M. (AUTHOR), Menon, Mahesh (AUTHOR), Lepage, Martin (AUTHOR), Lavigne, Katie M. (AUTHOR), Malla, Ashok (AUTHOR), Joober, Ridha (AUTHOR), Goldberg, Joel O. (AUTHOR), Heinrichs, R. Walter (AUTHOR), Castle, David J. (AUTHOR), Burns, Amy (AUTHOR), Best, Michael W. (AUTHOR), Rossell, Susan L. (AUTHOR), Walther, Sebastian (AUTHOR), Woodward, Todd S. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Mar2026, Vol. 71 Issue 3, p199-209. 11p. |
| Subjects: | Verbal memory, Psychomotor disorders, Short-term memory, Speech disorders, Schizophrenia, Cognition disorders, Evaluation methodology, Symptoms |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada, Australia |
| Abstract (English): | Objective: Cognitive impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Our previous study on a first-episode psychosis cohort showed that symptoms related to impoverished/disorganized communication and motor impoverishment predicted verbal and working memory scores, respectively. This study aimed to explore those predictors in people across the range of illness chronicity. Methods: We employed iterative Constrained Principal Component Analysis (iCPCA) to investigate the relationship between 15 cognitive measures from the MATRICS battery, including processing speed, attention, working, verbal and nonverbal memory, reasoning, and problem-solving, and 27 Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) items in 198 outpatients from two sites in Australia and one in Canada. The iCPCA method was used to determine symptoms that reliably predict specific combinations of cognitive measures while controlling Type I errors. Results: We found that a verbal memory and learning component was predicted by the PANSS item Lack of Spontaneity and Flow of Conversation, and a visual attention/working memory component was linked to the PANSS item Motor Retardation. Conclusions: These accord with our previous findings in an early psychosis sample, that is, negative symptoms of diminished expression are key predictors of cognitive abilities in schizophrenia. Namely, communication and motor impoverishments predicted lower scores on tests of verbal memory, learning, visual attention, and working memory. These findings may inform personalized treatment approaches targeting cognitive deficits and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Plain Language Summary Title: How speech and movement difficulties in schizophrenia link to specific thinking skills: insights from a study in Canada and Australia Plain Language Summary: What was the purpose of this study? We wanted to find out whether specific symptoms of schizophrenia, especially those related to speech, movement and gestures, are linked to specific thinking problems, such as verbal memory and learning or attention and working memory difficulties. Why does this matter? Schizophrenia affects how people think, feel, and behave. It includes two main types of symptoms: Positive symptoms: added experiences like hearing voices or unusual beliefs. Negative symptoms: reduced abilities, such as speaking less, moving less, showing fewer facial expressions, or withdrawing socially. Cognitive problems are common in schizophrenia, but it is unclear how they relate to these symptoms. Understanding this could improve treatment. What did we do? We studied 198 people with schizophrenia from Canada and Australia. They completed thinking tests and were assessed for a wide range of symptoms. What did we find? We found that only negative symptoms were related to cognitive difficulties. Specifically: People with more trouble expressing themselves verbally did worse on memory and verbal learning tasks. People with reduced movements and gestures did worse on attention and working memory tasks that required quick hand responses. Why is this important? Different negative symptoms affect different areas of thinking. This means treatments could be designed to target both the symptoms and the specific thinking problems that come with them. Take-away message: Looking at individual symptoms, like speech difficulties or reduced movement, offers clearer insight into specific thinking challenges in schizophrenia than relying on overall symptom scores. This could lead to more targeted and effective care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Abstract (French): | Les troubles cognitifs sont une caractéristique fondamentale des troubles du spectre de la schizophrénie. Notre étude précédente portant sur une cohorte de participants ayant présenté un premier épisode psychotique a montré que les symptômes liés à la communication appauvrie ou désorganisée et aux déficits moteurs étaient respectivement des facteurs prédicteurs des scores liés à la mémoire verbale et à la mémoire de travail. Cette étude visait à évaluer ces facteurs prédicteurs chez des personnes présentant différents degrés de chronicité de la maladie. Nous avons fait appel à une analyse en composantes principales itérative sous contraintes (iCPCA, de l'anglais iterative Constrained Principal Component Analysis) pour évaluer le lien entre 15 mesures cognitives tirées de la batterie de tests MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), y compris la vitesse de traitement, l'attention, la mémoire de travail, la mémoire verbale et la mémoire non verbale, le raisonnement ainsi que la résolution de problèmes, et 27 éléments de l'échelle PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale). L'étude a été menée auprès de 198 patients en consultation externe provenant de deux centres situés en Australie et au Canada. La méthode iCPCA a été utilisée pour déterminer les symptômes qui permettent de prédire de façon fiable des combinaisons précises de mesures cognitives tout en contrôlant les erreurs de type 1. Nous avons déterminé que l'élément Manque de spontanéité et de fluidité de la conversation de l'échelle PANSS permettait de prédire la composante liée à la mémoire verbale et à l'apprentissage, et que l'élément ralentissement psychomoteur de l'échelle PANSS était lié à la composante d'attention visuelle et de mémoire de travail. Ces résultats concordent avec nos constatations antérieures liées à un échantillon constitué de personnes ayant présenté un premier épisode psychotique, c'est-à-dire que les symptômes négatifs d'un déficit d'expression sont des facteurs prédicteurs importants des capacités cognitives chez les personnes atteintes de schizophrénie. Plus précisément, l'appauvrissement de la communication et les déficits moteurs étaient des facteurs prédicteurs de scores inférieurs aux tests portant sur la mémoire verbale, l'apprentissage, l'attention visuelle et la mémoire de travail. Ces résultats pourraient permettre d'orienter des approches de traitements personnalisées ciblant les déficits cognitifs et les symptômes négatifs chez les personnes atteintes de schizophrénie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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