A ten-year longitudinal repeated assessment study of cognitive improvement in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and healthy controls: The Oslo Schizophrenia Recovery (OSR) study.

peer reviewedThe mapping of cognitive trajectories after a first episode of schizophrenia has been the aim in several studies, but the longitudinal course of cognitive impairments remains an important question. Due to methodological limitations, it has been challenging to pinpoint specific periods of improvement or stability in cognitive functioning over time. The objective of this study is to further clarify the longitudinal course of cognitive change after a first episode of schizophrenia through frequent repeated measurement. A total of 56 persons participated in the study (28 first episode patients and 28 healthy pairwise matched controls) with 79 % of patients retained at the 10-year follow-up. The Oslo Schizophrenia Recovery study has a repeated measurement design and includes data from nine cognitive assessments over 10 years. Cognition was assessed with the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery, which is well suited for repeated measurements. Data were analyzed with linear multilevel models. The results challenge some of the views about the course of cognitive impairment in first-episode schizophrenia patients. Using quadratic time effects in our analyses and balancing the patient group with regards to the most relevant confounding demographic variables such as age, gender, and education, we showed that cognitive deficits change and improve more than in healthy individuals until year 6, when both groups stabilize. The patient group improved on some of the most important cognitive domains associated with functional outcome with 63.5 % full recovery at 10-year follow-up

Details of attention and learning change in first-episode schizophrenia

Impaired attention and learning functions are common in schizophrenia. The details of this impairment, and how these change across time, are not well known. We aimed to compare the parameters of well-known attention and learning neuropsychological tests in first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients and healthy controls in a 2-year follow-up period. The performance of 28-25 FES patients and pairwise matched healthy controls on the Continuous Performance Test-Identical Pairs, the revised Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, and the revised Brief Visuospatial Memory Test was compared at baseline and 2 years later. The attention dysfunction of the FES group was driven by slow reaction time and a comparative failure to identify correct hits. The reaction time was reduced somewhat across time in the patient group. Regarding the learning tasks, both groups increased their number of correct answers across trials. However, at each trial, the patient group exhibited lower scores, with a trend towards better visual learning performance across time. In summary, the FES patients were impaired in most of the parameters of the attention and learning tasks. Across time, modest improvements in reaction time and visual learning were displayed in the FES group. However, this group never caught up with the control group

Resilience trajectories to full recovery in first-episode schizophrenia

Background: Resilience is successful adaptation despite adversity. This personality trait has the potential to add new knowledge to how to achieve a successful outcome, but resilience has been understudied in schizophrenia. The objective of the present study is to investigate if there are significant differences in resilience development among fully recovered and non recovered patients with first episode schizophrenia (FES). Methods: In the ongoing Oslo Schizophrenia Recovery Study spanning 10 years, 28 first episode patients are interviewed and assessed yearly with comprehensive criteria of full recovery, a measure of social and role functioning and resilience, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The present study includes data from six follow-ups over four years. Working or studying, having symptoms that are stably mild or absent for two years or more, having contact with friends and/or dating, participating in leisure activities and living independently define full recovery. Results: At the four-year follow-up, 55% were sustained full/partly recovered. Ten percent of those fully recovered were no longer in treatment. Choosing the overall best linear mixed model, we found a significantly larger increase in resilience score among the fully recovered than among those not recovered. Conclusions: Based on the theoretical rationale that resilience is activated differently in persons who experience adversity, the significant increase in resilience in the fully recovered group indicates that this psychological trait is present to a higher degree in fully recovered. These results highlight resilience as a factor associated with increased recovery in FES adding to the small literature on improvement among these patients and thus have important clinical implications

Comparing effects: a reanalysis of two studies on season of birth bias in anorexia nervosa

Background Outcomes from studies on season of birth bias in eating disorders have been inconsistent. This inconsistency has been explained by differences in methodologies resulting in different types of effect sizes. The aim of the current study was to facilitate comparison by using the same methodology on samples from two studies with differing conclusions. Methods The statistical analyses used in each study were applied to the samples from the other study and the resulting effect sizes, Cramêr’s V and odds ratio (OR), were compared and discussed. Results For both studies, the Cramêr’s Vs ranged between 0.03 and 0.08 and the OR ranged between 0.85 and 1.31. According to common conventions, Cramêr’s Vs below 0.10 and ORs below 1.44 are considered small. Conclusion As a marker of one or more potential risk factors, the observed effects are considered to be small. When reanalysed allowing for direct comparisons, studies with contrasting conclusions converge towards an absence of support for a season of birth bias for patients with AN

The relationship between level of cognitive impairments and functional outcome trajectories in first-episode schizophrenia

Although cognitive impairments are consistently linked to functional outcome in chronic schizophrenia, the relationship remains unclear for patients with first-episode schizophrenia. The objective of this present study was to determine whether there are distinct developmental trajectories for functional outcome in patients with different levels of baseline cognition. The present study has a multi-follow-up design, and includes data from six follow-ups over four years. Assessments were conducted yearly, apart from the first year where assessments were conducted every six months. A total of 28 patients with first-episode schizophrenia participated in the study, with 79% of patients retained at the 4-year follow-up. Cognition was assessed with MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery. Functional outcomes were obtained through Global functioning: Social and Global functioning: Role. Data were analyzed with linear multilevel models. Results suggest steady improvements in social and role functioning among the patients across the four year period. Baseline attention, verbal learning, and verbal working memory were significantly associated with social outcome. Role functioning was significantly associated with attention, verbal working memory, and reasoning/problem solving. Furthermore, the rate of change in social outcome varies among patients depending on their baseline level of attention and verbal working memory, with the lowest scoring group showing the least improvement over the years. The subgroup of patients with the largest cognitive impairments at the onset of the disorder shows limited improvements in social functioning compared to higher functioning groups

Childhood trauma, social cognition and schizophrenia: Specific association between physical neglect and cognitive theory of mind in homicide offenders

Schizophrenia is associated with a small, but increased risk of violent behavior, including homicide. Violent individuals with schizophrenia have elevated rates of childhood trauma and substantial social cognitive impairments. The aim of this study was to examine if childhood trauma is related to social cognition in homicide offenders with schizophrenia. We recruited 26 individuals with schizophrenia sentenced to compulsory mental care for homicide/attempted homicide and 28 non-violent schizophrenia controls. They filled out the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), providing scores for physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect and emotional neglect. Social cognition was assessed with two measures of emotion processing (Emotion in Biological Motion, Pictures of Facial Affect) and two theory of mind (ToM) tests (Hinting Task, Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition: MASC). Spearman's rho correlation coefficients were computed, and significant results followed up with partial correlation analyses controlling for IQ. Three associations were statistically significant, all in the homicide group; between CTQ physical neglect and cognitive ToM assessed with Hinting Task and with MASC, and between CTQ emotional neglect and Hinting Task. Only the first remained significant after controlling for IQ, indicating a specific association between physical neglect and cognitive ToM in homicide offenders with schizophrenia

Impaired Neuropsychological Profile in Homicide Offenders with Schizophrenia

Background: Our ability to predict and prevent homicides committed by individuals with schizophrenia is limited. Cognitive impairments are associated with poorer functional outcome in schizophrenia, possibly also homicide. The aim of the current study was to investigate global and specific cognition among homicide offenders with schizophrenia (HOS). Methods: Twenty-six HOS were compared to 28 individuals with schizophrenia and no history of violence (non-HOS), and a group of healthy controls (HC, n = 151). HOS and non-HOS participants were recruited from in- and outpatient units across Norway. An extensive neuropsychological test battery was administered. Results: HOS participants performed significantly weaker than HC in all cognitive domains. Further, statistically significant differences between HOS and non-HOS participants were found for IQ (d = 0.52) and verbal learning (d = 0.82), with larger impairments in the HOS compared to the non-HOS group. Conclusions: Our results indicate that HOS participants show clinically significant impairments in global and specific cognition