Poor premorbid school performance, but not severity of illness, predicts cognitive decline in schizophrenia in midlife

Publication date: Available online 9 September 2015 Source:Schizophrenia Research: Cognition Author(s): Irina Rannikko, Graham K. Murray, Pauliina Juola, Henri Salo, Marianne Haapea, Jouko Miettunen, Juha Veijola, Jennifer H. Barnett, Anja P. Husa, Peter B. Jones, Marjo-Riitta Järvelin, Matti Isohanni, Erika Jääskeläinen Neurocognitive dysfunction is common in schizophrenia but its course and determinants remain uncertain. Our aim was to analyse if premorbid school performance and the severity of illness and functioning predict change in cognition in schizophrenia in a general population sample. The sample included cases with schizophrenia spectrum disorder from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Data on school marks at the age of 16years, educational level at the age of 34years, severity of symptoms and occupational functioning around first episode and after years of illness were gained from national registers, hospital notes and interviews. Change of verbal and visual learning and memory and executive functioning were examined between ages 34 and 43years. The number of cases varied in analyses from 29 to 41, depending on missing data in particular cognitive tests. Lower school marks at age 16 years and lower education at age 34 years predicted more decline of cognition. Measures of severity of illness or functioning were not associated statistically significantly with change of cognition. Premorbid school performance, but not later cou...
Source: Schizophrenia Research: Cognition - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research