Sensitivity and Specificity of Memory Dysfunction in Schizophrenia: A Comparison With Major Depression

• Published in: Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 79 - 93
• Main Authors: Egeland, Jens, Sundet, Kjetil, Rund, Bjørn Rishovd, Asbjørnsen, Arve, Hugdahl, Kenneth, Landrø, Nils Inge, Lund, Anders, Roness, Atle, Stordal, Kirsten I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Taylor & Francis Group 01.02.2003; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Chi-Square Distribution; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Intelligence Tests; Male; Medical sciences; Memory Disorders - etiology; Memory, Short-Term - physiology; Mood disorders; Multivariate Analysis; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - classification; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenia - physiopathology; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Verbal Learning - physiology; Word Association Tests; Mood disorder; Human; Memory disorder; Cognitive disorder; Neuropsychological test; Schizophrenia; Depression; Psychometrics; Declarative memory; Psychosis; Test validation; Sensitivity; Specificity; Working memory; Comparative study
• ISSN: 1380-3395; 1744-411X
• DOI: 10.1076/jcen.25.1.79.13630

Fifty-three schizophrenic subjects were compared to 50 patients with major depression and 50 normal controls on measures of working memory, declarative memory and malingering. The schizophrenic group scored 1-2 SDs below controls on all measures, while depressive patients exposed only lesser deficits in working memory and free recall. The memory deficit of the schizophrenic subjects was disproportionately greater than their intellectual decline. Differences between clinical groups could not be explained by differences in IQ, clinical symptom load or demographic characteristics. This indicates that impaired memory is a particular sensitive symptom of schizophrenia and that the impairment is specific to the illness. Working memory failure was prominent in both clinical groups. The schizophrenic subjects displayed primarily an acquisition failure, while the depressed group showed retrieval difficulties.