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Neuropsychological functioning in early-onset first-episode psychosis: comparison of diagnostic subgroups

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European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aims of this study were to examine the nature and extent of cognitive impairment in first-episode early-onset psychosis (FE-EOP) soon after their stabilisation and to search for potential differences according to specific diagnostic sub-groups of patients. As part of a Spanish multicentre longitudinal study, 107 FE-EOP patients and 98 healthy controls were assessed on the following cognitive domains: attention, working memory, executive functioning, and verbal learning and memory. Three diagnostic categories were established in the patient sample: schizophrenia (n = 36), bipolar disorder (n = 19), and other psychosis (n = 52). Patients performed significantly worse than controls in all cognitive domains. The three diagnostic sub-groups did not differ in terms of impaired/preserved cognitive functions or degree of impairment. FE-EOP patients show significant cognitive impairment that, during this early phase, seems to be non-specific to differential diagnosis.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERSAM; RETICS RD06/0011(REM-TAP Network) and G03/032 (The First-Episode Early-Onset Psychosis Network). Other support came from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) (A. Zabala) and the Spanish Ministry of Health: Healthcare Research Grants PI02/1248 and PI05/0678 (Dr. Arango). The authors thank James Gold, PhD for comments on the manuscript and Jose de Arriba for data management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adolescent Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, c/Ibiza 43, 28009, Madrid, Spain

    Arantzazu Zabala

  2. Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain

    Arantzazu Zabala, Marta Rapado, Celso Arango, Olalla Robles & María Mayoral

  3. Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Vizcaya, Spain

    Arantzazu Zabala

  4. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute Clinic of Neurosciences, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitari of Barcelona, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain

    Elena de la Serna

  5. Stanley Institute International Mood-Disorders Research Center, 03-RC-003, Hospital Santiago Apóstol de Vitoria, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Vitoria, Spain

    Cristina González

  6. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Santander, Spain

    José Manuel Rodríguez-Sánchez

  7. Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain

    Patricia Andrés

  8. Neuropsychology Department, Reintegra Foundation, Oviedo, Spain

    Igor Bombín

  9. Department of Psychiatry, University of Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Oviedo, Spain

    Igor Bombín

Authors
  1. Arantzazu Zabala
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  2. Marta Rapado
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  3. Celso Arango
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  4. Olalla Robles
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  5. Elena de la Serna
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  6. Cristina González
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  7. José Manuel Rodríguez-Sánchez
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  8. Patricia Andrés
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  9. María Mayoral
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  10. Igor Bombín
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Correspondence to Arantzazu Zabala.

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Zabala, A., Rapado, M., Arango, C. et al. Neuropsychological functioning in early-onset first-episode psychosis: comparison of diagnostic subgroups. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 260, 225–233 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-009-0046-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-009-0046-9

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