Schizophrenic patients subjective experience of perceptual-cognitive symptoms: Correlations with verbal memory deficits and psychopathology
Document type:
Article
Author(s):
Hümmeler, V; Stohr, K; Jahn, T
Abstract:
Although subjectively experienced deficits may improve the understanding and treatment of schizophrenia, our knowledge of these deficits is fragmentary We assessed subjectively experienced perceptual and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenic patients (N = 42) by means of the Eppendorfer Schizophrenie Inventar (ESI) and correlated them with factor analytically derived dimensions of verbal memory performance in the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). In addition, the patients' psychopathological symptoms were rated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). We found a significant correlation between the ESI-subscale Attention/Speech Deficits and the CVLT-factor Discriminability/Working Memory (r(s) = -.38). Almost all ESI-subscales correlated significantly with the positive and the global subscale of the PANSS (.32 < = r < = .66), but not with the negative subscale. A higher-order partial correlation with the PANSS-subscales as covaniates confirmed the association between the ESI-subscale Attention/Speech Deficits and the CVLT-factor Discriminability/Working Memory independent from psychopathology (r = -.40). Our findings demonstrate that self-rated perceptual and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia correlate with observer-rated positive symptoms, whereas correlations with objectively measured neuropsychological deficits appear to be more specific.
Journal title abbreviation:
Z Klin Psychol Psychiatr Psychother
Year:
2005
Journal volume:
53
Journal issue:
2
Pages contribution:
129-142
Language:
eng
Print-ISSN:
0723-6557
TUM Institution:
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie