Cross-Sectional Study of Older Outpatients With Schizophrenia and Healthy Comparison Subjects: No Differences in Age-Related Cognitive Decline

• Published in: The American journal of psychiatry Vol. 157; no. 8; pp. 1324 - 1326
• Main Authors: Eyler Zorrilla, Lisa T., Heaton, Robert K., McAdams, Lou Ann, Zisook, Sidney, Harris, M. Jackuelyn, Jeste, Dilip V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychiatric Publishing 01.08.2000; American Psychiatric Association
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age Factors; Aged; Ambulatory Care; Biological and medical sciences; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale - statistics & numerical data; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease Progression; Female; Geriatrics; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Older people; Prognosis; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - statistics & numerical data; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenic Psychology; Human; Senescence; Healthy subject; Evaluation scale; Schizophrenia; Psychometrics; Psychosis; Dementia Rating Scale Mattis; Intellectual deterioration; Cross sectional study; Adult; Evolution; Clinical investigation; Elderly; Age; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0002-953X; 1535-7228
• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.157.8.1324

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the progression of cognitive deficits in older, community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia, especially in comparison to healthy subjects. METHOD: The authors examined the relationship of age to performance on the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale in 116 outpatients with schizophrenia and 122 normal comparison subjects. Subjects ranged in age from 40 to 85 years. RESULTS: Dementia Rating Scale scores were lower in the schizophrenia group but correlated negatively with age in both groups, with no significant differences seen between the schizophrenia and normal comparison groups in slopes that depicted age-related variation. CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional study suggests a relatively stable long-term course of cognitive impairment in individuals with schizophrenia, with no evidence of faster cognitive decline in outpatients with schizophrenia than in normal comparison subjects.