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To investigate the association between cytokine peripheral levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with schizophrenia and controls.A sample of 40 patients and 40 control subjects participated in the study. Psychiatric diagnosis was established following structured clinical assessment. The Framingham Score was used to assess cardiovascular risk (CVR). Serum levels of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70 and TNF-α were determined by cytometric bead array (CBA) technique, and the serum levels of IL-33, sST2, sTNFR1, sTNFR2, Leptin and Adiponectin by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Patients with schizophrenia showed greater frequency of moderate CVR when compared with controls (p = 0.14). In addition, patients showed higher levels of sTNFR2 and Adiponectin compared to controls (p = 0.007 and p 0.001, respectively). Adiponectin and sTNFR2 were associated with CVR only in patients (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.033, respectively). In multivariate analysis controlling for socio-demographic and clinical confounders, illness duration (r = 0.492; p 0.002) and sTNFR2 (r = 0.665; p 0.004) were independent predictors of CVR.Our results reinforce the concept that patients with schizophrenia are at greater risk to develop cardiovascular diseases, and suggest that the associated chronic low-grade inflammation might play a role in this process.

Tardive dyskinesia is a syndrome defined by the emergence of hyperkinetic involuntary movements after the exposure to dopamine receptor antagonists, mainly antipsychotics and antiemetics. It involves two main clinical presentations: orofaciolingual and limb-truncal dyskinesias. There are several nonmodifiable (e.g., age, sex) and modifiable (e.g., dose and duration of exposure) risk factors for tardive dyskinesia. In this context, long-term use of dopamine antagonists should be avoided whenever possible to prevent the development of this condition. Once tardive dyskinesia develops, if the withdrawal of the antipsychotic is not possible, switching to another one with lower risk is recommended. VMAT2 inhibitors can also be used for symptomatic treatment.

This paper presents the C-ORAL-ESQ corpus project, which is dedicated to the study of the speech of individuals with schizophrenia. The main aim of the project is to investigate cognitive aspects of individuals with schizophrenia. This investigation is carried through the compilation of a spontaneous speech corpus and its study, which focuses mainly on the analysis of information structuring and its prosodic correlates. The paper informs about the environment and the setting of the sound file recordings, the medical and ethical criteria for the selection of the participants, the corpus aimed dimensions and the present stage of compilation, as well as its design and compilation criteria, which include attention to prosodic annotation, and metadata related to the participants’ characteristics. Additionally, the theory adopted for the study of information structure is summarized, focusing on those aspects that can better address cognitive processes of individuals with schizophrenia and their prosodic correlates. Finally, the perspectives for future studies and resource compilations are presented.

Introduction Childhood trauma (CT) is known to be a vulnerability factor for schizophrenia, but the specific impacts of different trauma subtypes on the prognosis of these patients remains unclear. Objective To assess the relationships between the occurrence of overall CT and its subtypes with factors with known prognostic impact on schizophrenia, such as age at onset of symptoms, global functioning, and cognitive impairment in a sample of Brazilian patients. Methods One hundred and five stable patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-5 criteria were evaluated using the Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS; self-report global functioning), Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS; subjective cognitive impairment), and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire scales (CTQ; perceived overall CT, emotional neglect, physical neglect, physical abuse, and emotional and sexual abuse). Statistical analysis was performed with multivariate linear regression. Results After controlling for educational level and age, subjective cognitive impairment was directly correlated with overall perceived CT occurrence, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Self-report global functioning was inversely correlated with perceived overall CT occurrence, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Emotional abuse and physical abuse were also inversely correlated with age at onset of symptoms. Conclusions CT can be related to more severe prognoses in schizophrenia, impacting on early onset of symptoms, lower global functioning, and greater cognitive impairment. Subtypes of trauma can be associated with different prognostic risks.

Aims: Recent findings suggest that cognitive impairment can be associated with inflammation and immune changes in schizophrenia. We aimed to study possible associations between cytokine levels and cognitive performance in a sample of patients with schizophrenia.Methods: Cognition was assessed with the brief assessment of cognition in schizophrenia in 63 clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia. Blood was collected and cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, TNF-α, IFN-γ) were measured by cytometric bead array method. Psychopathological scales were also applied.Results: IL-6 correlated negatively with general cognitive performance (rho = -0.395, p = .017) and positively with antipsychotic dose (rho = 0.412, p = .004). Multiple regression analysis showed that cognitive performance is associated with age and antipsychotic dose (p = .000 and p = .033).Conclusion: The association between IL-6 levels and cognitive performance is dependent on age and antipsychotic dose.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that genetic variations of cannabinoid receptors contribute to the pathophysiology of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Methods: In this genetic association case-control study, cannabinoid receptor polymorphisms CNR1 rs12720071 and CNR2 rs2229579 were tested for association with neurocognitive performance in 69 patients with schizophrenia and 45 healthy controls. Neurocognition was assessed by the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Results: We found a consistent association between CNR1 rs12720071 polymorphism and the cognitive performance of patients in several cognitive domains. Patients with C/C polymorphism presented significantly worse performance in motor speed, verbal fluency, attention/processing speed and reasoning/problem solving. Conclusion: Although limited, our data support the hypothesis that CNR1 variations may be associated with the pathogenesis of cognitive deficits of schizophrenia.

This study aimed at evaluating changes in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in patients with schizophrenia in comparison with controls. Plasma levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) and Ang II were assessed in 25 patients with schizophrenia and 20 controls. Patients with schizophrenia presented decreased levels of ACE compared to controls [median (25th-75th percentiles) = 434.79 (341.15-524.02) vs. 508.49 (396.34-608.72); p 0.05]. No significant differences were found regarding ACE2, Ang-(1-7) and Ang II levels. There were no associations between the measured molecules and clinical parameters. Our results corroborate the hypothesis that the RAS is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Objectives to evaluate cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) expression on peripheral immune cells, i.e., blood monocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and NK cells, and their relationship to a wide range of serum cytokine levels in subjects with schizophrenia and controls. Methods A sample of 55 people with chronic schizophrenia and 48 controls were enrolled in the study. The expression of the cannabinoid receptors CB1R and CB2R was evaluated in peripheral blood leukocytes by flow cytometry. Serum levels of cytokines/chemokines were simultaneously analyzed by cytometric bead array. Results We found higher expression of cannabinoid receptors on cells of the innate immune system in subjects with schizophrenia when compared with controls. Serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, interferon (IFN-γ), and (C-X-C motif) ligand 10/interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (CXCL10/IP10) were decreased, while levels of the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (CCL2/MCP-1) were increased in the schizophrenia group in comparison with controls. Patients with schizophrenia showed simpler correlation network between cytokines and CBRs expression than controls. Conclusion Patients with schizophrenia showed increased CBRs expression in cells of the innate immune system and simpler correlation network between cytokines and CBRs expression when compared with controls. These results suggest a defective endocannabinoid system-mediated immunomodulation in patients with schizophrenia.

Objective Changes in immune system have been reported in schizophrenia. This study aimed to evaluate the involvement of IL-33, a member of the IL-1 cytokine family, in schizophrenia and its association with cognitive performance in these patients. Methods Forty patients with chronic schizophrenia and 40 healthy subjects participated in the study. Serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 (soluble form of the IL-33 receptor) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Patients were evaluated with the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS). Results Patients with schizophrenia and controls presented similar serum levels of IL-33 and sST2. Levels of both markers were positively correlated with cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion We found a significant correlation between IL-33 and sST2 levels and cognition in schizophrenia. Our results might help in the understanding of how immune markers are associated with cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. It remains to be determined whether the association between IL-33/sST2 and cognition is restricted to patients with schizophrenia.

Deficits in neurocognition and social cognition play a critical role in the functional impairment of patients with schizophrenia. Increased oxidative stress has been evidenced in schizophrenia. Increased oxidative stress can affect neuronal function and lead to impairments in neurocognitive functions (especially working memory) and social cognition.To investigate deficits in neurocognition and social cognition and their potential association with oxidative stress biomarkers in schizophrenia.Eight-five clinically stable patients with schizophrenia and 75 controls were enrolled in this study. Neurocognition was evaluated through the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Social cognition was assessed through the Hinting Task - a test of theory of mind - and an emotion processing test, Facial Emotion Recognition Test (FERT-100). Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring serum levels of glutathione (GSH) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS).Patients had decreased serum levels of GSH (Z=3.56; p0.001) and increased TBARS (Z=5.51; P0.001) when compared with controls. TBARS levels are higher in patients using first generation antipsychotics. Higher serum levels of TBARS in patients were associated with poor performance in working memory test (r=-0.39; p=0.002), even when controlling for age and negative symptoms (Standard Beta: -0.36; CI= -2.52 a -13.71).The association between greater lipid peroxidation, as assessed by TBARS, and worse performance in working memory corroborates theoretical models of greater vulnerability of schizophrenia to oxidative stress.

Objective: To analyze the correlation between quality of life, symptoms, and cognition assessed by the interview-based Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS). Methods: Seventy-nine outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia were evaluated with the Quality of Life Scale – Brazilian version (QLS-BR), the SCoRS, and symptoms scales (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS]). After determining the potential explanatory variables using Spearman’s correlation and Student’s t test results, we ran simple, multivariate, and decision-tree regression analyses to assess the impact of SCoRS and PANSS ratings on mean overall quality of life. Results: Cognitive deficits and negative symptoms were the best predictors of quality of life. A low degree of negative symptoms (PANSS negative < 11) was a strong predictor of better quality of life (QLS ∼ 75), regardless of SCoRS rating. Among participants with more severe negative symptoms, elevated cognitive impairment (interviewer SCoRS ∼ 44) was a predictor of worse quality of life (QLS ∼ 44). Conclusions: Cognitive impairment determined by interview-based assessment seems to be a strong predictor of quality of life in subjects with severe negative symptoms. These results support the usefulness of SCoRS for cognitive assessment that is relevant to the everyday life of patients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the validity and reliability of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia by examining its temporal stability, internal consistency, and discriminant and convergent validity. METHODS: The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia was administered to 116 stable patients with schizophrenia and 58 matched control subjects. To assess concurrent validity, a subset of patients underwent a traditional neuropsychological assessment. RESULTS: The patients with schizophrenia performed significantly worse than the controls (p0.8). The internal consistency of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia was high (Cronbach's α ϝ 0.874). CONCLUSION: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia exhibits good reliability and discriminant and concurrent validity and is a promising tool for easily assessing cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and for comparing the performance of Brazilian patients with that of patients from other countries.

Cognitive assessment in schizophrenia has traditionally used batteries that are long and complex or differ widely in their content. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) has been developed to cover the main cognitive deficits of schizophrenia as well as to be easily and briefly administered, portable, sensitive and reliable. Objectives: To investigate the applicability and sensitivity of the Brazilian Version of the BACS (Brazilian-BACS). Methods: Performance of 20 stable patients with schizophrenia on the Brazilian-BACS was compared to 20 matched healthy controls. Results: Applying the Brazilian-BACS required 43.4±8.4 minutes for patients and 40.5±5.7 minutes for controls (p=0.17). All tests demonstrated significant differences between controls and patients (P

Objective: Recent evidence has associated immune and inflammatory changes to cognitive performance in many diseases, including schizophrenia. Since this is a new research field where concepts are not yet solid and new questions and hypothesis are still arising, the present study aimed at summarizing the available clinical data associating schizophrenia, cognition and inflammation/immune function. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was made by searching the following terms in Medline: “schizophrenia or psychosis or psychotic” AND “inflamm* or immun* or cytokine or IL-* or TNF-* or kynureni* or KYNA”, AND “cognit* or attention or memory or executive function”. Results: Seventy five papers were identified using the selected terms, and seven papers were included in the review. Papers excluded focused mainly on basic research or other neuropsychiatric disorders. Conclusions: Recent findings link inflammatory markers to cognition in schizophrenia, suggesting that inflammation is associated with worst cognitive performance. Microglial activation, monoaminergic imbalance, brain abnormalities and the kynurenine pathway are possible mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Clinical trials with addition of immunomodulatory drugs have shown promising results, opening new windows to tackle cognition in schizophrenia.

Background Cognition is a major determinant of functioning in patients with schizophrenia. There is evidence that the endocannabinoid system influences cognition in human subjects, and participates in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In a previous study, we have shown that the expression of cannabinoid receptors (CB1R and CB2R) on peripheral lymphocytes is inversely correlated with performance in the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), in patients with schizophrenia. Recently, CBRs polymorphisms have been associated with an increased risk for schizophrenia, structural changes in the central nervous systems and in cognitive performance of the patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between CBRs polymorphisms and cognitive performance as assessed by the BACS. Methods A sample of 85 stable medicated patients (61% men; age = 41.6 ± 12.2 years; illness duration = 12.8 ± 10.7 years) was enrolled in this study. Two CB1R polymorphisms (rs1049353; rs12720071) and one CB2R polymorphism (rs2229579) were tested. Results We did not find any difference in general cognitive performance (BACS total score) regarding the three polymorphisms tested. However, when we analysed specific cognitive domains we have found a significant difference (p=0.002) regarding working memory (assessed by the Digit Span test) in patients with the rs12720071 polymorphism, where those with allele C performed better than those with T/T genotype. Since about a third of the patients (34%) had a history of past use of cannabis and 2.5% reported current use, we performed the rs12720071 polymorphism analysis excluding these patients. In this subgroup of patients, those with allele C also performed significantly better on Digit Span test (p=0.037). Discussion In this sample, the rs12720071 polymorphism of CB1R appears to influence performance on a working memory task that is sensitive to prefrontal cortex function.

Objectives: To investigate the determinants of family burden in a sample of patients with schizophrenia and their caregivers. Methods: Thirty-one stable patients with schizophrenia and their main caregivers were recruited. Sociodemographic variables were assessed in a semi-structured interview, and positive and negative symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cognitive performance was assessed with the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS). Levels of burden on caregivers were assessed with the Family Burden Interview Schedule (FBIS). Interactions among variables were analyzed using Pearson correlations and linear regression analysis. Results: Objective and subjective FBIS scores were 1.9 (standard deviation [SD] = 0.5) and 2.4 (SD = 0.6) respectively. Objective burden correlated positively with positive and negative symptoms, and cognitive impairment. Subjective burden correlated positively with positive symptoms and negatively with mean age of disease onset. Positive, negative and cognitive symptoms accounted for 47.6% of the variance of objective burden, with negative symptoms accounting independently for 30.3%. Age of onset, parents as caregivers and positive symptoms accounted for 28% of the variance of subjective burden, with age of onset independently explaining 20.3%. Conclusion: Patients' clinical and sociodemographic variables are important determinants of family burden in schizophrenia. Objective burden is predicted by symptoms, particularly negative ones. Subjective burden is predicted by symptoms and sociodemographic variables, particularly age of disease onset. Resumo Objetivo: Investigar os determinantes de sobrecarga familiar numa amostra de pacientes com esquizofrenia e seus cuidadores. Métodos: Trinta e um pacientes com esquizofrenia e seus principais cuidadores participaram do estudo. Variáveis sociodemográficas foram analisadas por meio de uma entrevista semiestruturada, e sintomas positivos e negativos foram quantificados através da Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). O desempenho cognitivo foi mensurado pela Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS). A Escala de Avaliação da Sobrecarga dos Familiares (FBIS) avaliou os níveis de sobrecarga entre os cuidadores. As interações entre as variáveis foram verificadas por meio do coeficiente de correlação de Pearson e de análise de regressão linear. Resultados: Os escores objetivos e subjetivos da FBIS foram 1,9 [desvio padrão (DP) 0,5] e 2,4 (DP 0,6), respectivamente. Sobrecarga objetiva se correlacionou positivamente com sintomas positivos e negativos, e com prejuízos cognitivos. A sobrecarga subjetiva se correlacionou positivamente com sintomas positivos, e negativamente com a idade de início da doença. Os sintomas positivos e negativos e os prejuízos cognitivos contribuíram com 47,6% da variância da sobrecarga objetiva, sendo que sintomas negativos foram responsáveis independentemente por 30,3%. A idade de início da doença, os pais na posição de cuidadores e os sintomas positivos contribuíram com 28% da variância da sobrecarga subjetiva, sendo que a idade de início da doença contribuiu independentemente com 20,3%. Conclusões: Variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas dos pacientes são importantes determinantes de sobrecarga familiar na esquizofrenia. A sobrecarga objetiva pode ser predita por sintomas, especialmente os negativos. A sobrecarga subjetiva pode ser predita por sintomas e características sociodemográficas, particularmente a idade de início da doença.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Neurobehavior Inventory (NBI) in a group of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients from a tertiary care center, correlating its scores with the presence of psychiatric symptoms. Methods Clinical and sociodemographic data from ninety-six TLE outpatients were collected, and a neuropsychiatric evaluation was performed with the following instruments: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), structured psychiatric interview (MINI-PLUS), Neurobehavior Inventory (NBI), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). Results Some traits evaluated by the NBI showed adequate internal consistency (mean inter-item correlation between 0.2 and 0.4) and were frequent, such as religiosity (74%) and repetitiveness (60.4%). Principal component analysis showed three factors, named here as emotions (Factor 1), hyposexuality (Factor 2), and unusual ideas (Factor 3). Depressive symptoms on HAM-D showed a strong association with emotions and hyposexuality factors. When patients with left TLE and right TLE were compared, the former exhibited more sadness (p = 0.017), and the latter, a greater tendency toward sense of personal destiny (p = 0.028). Conclusion Depression influences NBI scoring, mainly emotionality and hyposexuality traits. Neurobehavior Inventory subscales can be better interpreted with an appropriate evaluation of comorbid mood and anxiety disorders. Compromise in left temporal mesial structures is associated with increased tendency toward sad affect, whereas right temporal pathology is associated with increased beliefs in personal destiny.

BACKGROUND: Despite the old Kraepelinean concept that bipolar disorder (BD) does not evolve with cognitive decline, the presence of cognitive impairment, especially executive dysfunction has been recognized in BD patients. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and pro-inflammatory molecules are important contributors to the pathophysiology of BD, and imbalance in peripheral levels of these molecules may be implicated in the cognitive decline observed in BD patients. We aimed to investigate the executive performance of BD type I euthymic patients and its relation with the plasma levels of BDNF, TNF-α and its related soluble receptors (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2). METHODS: We evaluated executive functioning through the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Plasma levels of BDNF, TNF-α, sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 25 euthymic type I BD patients and 25 age and gender matched healthy controls. RESULTS: BD patients had an impairment in executive functioning (p

Objective The aim of the work described here was to measure the role of psychopathological features, specifically impulsivity and depression, in suicidality in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Methods Neuropsychiatric evaluation of 66 outpatients with TLE was performed with the following instruments: a structured clinical interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Results A current Axis I psychiatric diagnosis, mainly mood and anxiety disorders, was assigned to 37 subjects (56.1%) Presence of suicide risk was identified in 19 patients (28.8%), and 14 (21.2%) had attempted suicide. Frequency of seizures ( P = 0.012), current major depression ( P = 0.001), and motor impulsivity ( P = 0.005) were associated with suicide risk on univariate analysis. Logistic regression stressed the main relevance of major depression (OR = 12.82, 95% CI = 2.58–63.76, P = 0.002) and motor impulsivity (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.06–1.38, P = 0.005) to suicide risk. Conclusion Depression has a major influence on suicidality in epilepsy. Motor impulsivity is also relevant and may be an important component of depression in TLE associated with suicide risk.

A complex and dynamic environment where impulsivity probably interferes in the human behavior is the sport context. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the possible relationship between impulsivity and technical performance in handball athletes. Eleven junior female athletes on a handball team were submitted to a neuropsychological assessment of impulsivity using Conner’s CPT-II and the Iowa Gambling Task. In 11 matches, participants’ handball performance was analyzed. We adopted the resampling statistical approach to correlate the measures of technical performance with the neuropsychological measures. IGT net score was posi- tively correlated with technical faults. Omission errors on the CPT-II were positively correlated with the number of fouls suffered, the number of fouls committed, and the number of offensive fouls. Commission errors on the CPT-II were negatively correlated with rebounds with defense ball possession. Our results support the idea of relationships between impulsivity and technical performance in specific match situations.

INTRODUÇÃO: A preservação das habilidades de compreensão da fala nos idosos está correlacionada com a preservação das funções cognitivas. Essa habilidade é característica fundamental para a comunicação e sua avaliação possibilita a identificação de déficits cognitivos mais específicos, além de facilitar o desenvolvimento de estratégias de intervenção mais precoces e eficientes. OBJETIVO: Disponibilizar normas contemporâneas para a utilização de um instrumento de avaliação da compreensão verbal, o Token Test, para idosos brasileiros saudáveis. MÉTODO: Uma amostra com 120 idosos (76 mulheres), com médias de 71,1 anos para idade e de 6,9 anos de educação formal para escolaridade, foi avaliada utilizando o Miniexame do Estado Mental, para identificação da existência de comprometimento cognitivo, e o Token Test, para avaliação da compreensão da fala. RESULTADOS: Foram encontradas correlações significativas (p < 0,01) entre o escore do Token Test e a educação formal e a idade, os quais corresponderam respectivamente a 5% e 21% da variância compartilhada. Tais variáveis foram consideradas nas tabelas normativas. CONCLUSÃO:Nossos dados indicam que as normas disponibilizadas aqui são suficientemente representativas. Este trabalho abre caminho para estudos futuros de comparação entre o desempenho no Token Test de idosos saudáveis e daqueles em processos de declínio cognitivo. INTRODUCTION: The preservation of oral comprehension in the elderly is correlated with the preservation of their cognitive functions. Oral comprehension is a key feature for communication and its evaluation allows for the identification of more specific cognitive deficits, in addition to facilitating the development of more effective, early intervention strategies. OBJECTIVE: Provide contemporary standards for the use of an instrument to assess oral comprehension, the Token Test, in a sample of healthy seniors. METHOD: A sample of 120 patients (76 women) with mean age of 71.1 years and 6.9 years of formal education, was assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination to identify the existence of cognitive impairment, and the Token Test to assess oral comprehension. RESULTS: There were significant correlations (p < 0.01) between the token test scores for education and age, which accounted for 5% and 21% of shared variance, respectively. These two variables were considered on the normative data tables. DISCUSSION: The data obtained indicate that the standards provided here are sufficiently representative. This study identifies the need for future studies comparing the Token Test performance in elderly people either healthy or in the process of cognitive decline.

Objective The purpose of this research was to evaluate the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) and to assess its psychometric properties. Methods This study involved 98 outpatients who underwent psychopathological evaluation with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview—Plus Version, Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), and a Portuguese version of the NDDI-E. Results The NDDI-E was easily understood and quickly administered to most of the patients. At a cutoff score > 15, NDDI-E had a sensitivity of 81.5%, a specificity of 83.1%, and a negative predictive value of 92.2% for diagnosis of major depression. Internal consistency reliability of the NDDI-E was 0.79, and there was also a positive correlation between the NDDI-E and the HAM-D (P Conclusion The Brazilian-Portuguese version of NDDI-E can be used as a practical screening tool to improve recognition of depression in Brazilian people with epilepsy.

CONTEXTO: A Qualidade de Vida (QV) constitui valiosa forma de avaliação do impacto de doenças na vida diária e favorece intervenções mais efetivas sob uma perspectiva biopsicossocial. OBJETIVOS: Este artigo procura analisar criticamente os dados disponíveis sobre as relações entre QV e cognição na esquizofrenia. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada uma pesquisa na base de dados PubMed e Lilacs com os descritores de assunto "schizophrenia" e "cognition disorder" ou "cognition" e "quality of life" ou "outcome assessment". RESULTADOS: Dos 27 artigos selecionados que estudavam a relação entre cognição e QV medida por meio de escalas, 20 mostraram associações. Essas foram mais importantes nos estudos que utilizaram escalas de QV administrada por pesquisador, em comparação com escalas de autoavaliação. CONCLUSÃO: A associação entre cognição e QV é mais evidente nos estudos que utilizaram medidas de QV feitas por pesquisadores do que naqueles que utilizaram autoavaliações. A avaliação cognitiva é importante não somente como parâmetro determinante de QV dos pacientes, mas também auxilia na interpretação das escalas de QV, sendo as autoavaliações mais adequadas em pacientes com menor prejuízo cognitivo. BACKGROUND: The Quality of Life (QoL) is a valuable way of assessing the impact of diseases in daily life and favors more effective interventions under a biopsychosocial perspective. OBJECTIVES: This article aimed to critically analyze the available data on the relationship between QoL and cognitive function in schizophrenia. METHODS: We performed a search in PubMed and Lilacs databases with the terms "schizophrenia" and "cognition disorder" or "cognition" and "quality of life" or "outcome assessment". RESULTS: From the 27 selected articles that studied the relationship between cognition and QoL measured by scales, 20 articles showed associations. The association was more robust in studies using scales administered by a researcher, compared to self-report scales. DISCUSSION: The cognitive assessment is important not only as a parameter for determining QoL of patients, but also as a factor to be taken into account when analyzing the data obtained by self-report QoL scales.

CONTEXTO: A Qualidade de Vida (QV) constitui valiosa forma de avaliação do impacto de doenças na vida diária e favorece intervenções mais efetivas sob uma perspectiva biopsicossocial. OBJETIVOS: Este artigo procura analisar criticamente os dados disponíveis sobre as relações entre QV e cognição na esquizofrenia. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada uma pesquisa na base de dados PubMed e Lilacs com os descritores de assunto "schizophrenia" e "cognition disorder" ou "cognition" e "quality of life" ou "outcome assessment". RESULTADOS: Dos 27 artigos selecionados que estudavam a relação entre cognição e QV medida por meio de escalas, 20 mostraram associações. Essas foram mais importantes nos estudos que utilizaram escalas de QV administrada por pesquisador, em comparação com escalas de autoavaliação. CONCLUSÃO: A associação entre cognição e QV é mais evidente nos estudos que utilizaram medidas de QV feitas por pesquisadores do que naqueles que utilizaram autoavaliações. A avaliação cognitiva é importante não somente como parâmetro determinante de QV dos pacientes, mas também auxilia na interpretação das escalas de QV, sendo as autoavaliações mais adequadas em pacientes com menor prejuízo cognitivo.BACKGROUND: The Quality of Life (QoL) is a valuable way of assessing the impact of diseases in daily life and favors more effective interventions under a biopsychosocial perspective. OBJECTIVES: This article aimed to critically analyze the available data on the relationship between QoL and cognitive function in schizophrenia. METHODS: We performed a search in PubMed and Lilacs databases with the terms "schizophrenia" and "cognition disorder" or "cognition" and "quality of life" or "outcome assessment". RESULTS: From the 27 selected articles that studied the relationship between cognition and QoL measured by scales, 20 articles showed associations. The association was more robust in studies using scales administered by a researcher, compared to self-report scales. DISCUSSION: The cognitive assessment is important not only as a parameter for determining QoL of patients, but also as a factor to be taken into account when analyzing the data obtained by self-report QoL scales.