In a new study from King’s College London, researchers found schizophrenia and bipolar I patients experience cognitive decline through adulthood, although the nature of this decline varies across disorders and cognitive functions.
They examined functioning in general and specific cognitive functions comparing 64 schizophrenia and 19 bipolar I patients to 103 controls.
Participants were followed prospectively for up to 10 years. At the beginning of and follow-up, a cognitive test was conducted.
The researchers found widespread decreases in IQ, executive function, visual memory, language ability, and verbal knowledge in schizophrenia patients.
The declines in these functions occurred at different ages. At the first episode, deficits were present in verbal memory, working memory, processing speed, and visuospatial ability; these remained static thereafter.
Declines in IQ, verbal knowledge, and language ability were also seen in bipolar I patients, although at different ages to schizophrenia patients and in verbal functions only.
The declines in measures of verbal memory, processing speed, and executive function remained stable.
The team says both common and unique pathophysiological mechanisms may underlie cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and bipolar I across the adult lifespan
Medication and psychological treatments that target individual cognitive functions during specific periods may therefore be most effective.
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The study is published in the Schizophrenia Bulletin, and was conducted by Jolanta Zanelli, Ph.D. et al.
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