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Heterogeneity of auditory verbal working memory in schizophrenia.

Authors :
Bruder GE
Alschuler DM
Kroppmann CJ
Fekri S
Gil RB
Jarskog LF
Harkavy-Friedman JM
Goetz R
Kayser J
Wexler BE
Source :
Journal of abnormal psychology [J Abnorm Psychol] 2011 Feb; Vol. 120 (1), pp. 88-97.
Publication Year :
2011

Abstract

The heterogeneity of schizophrenia remains an obstacle for understanding its pathophysiology. Studies using a tone discrimination screening test to classify patients have found evidence for 2 subgroups having either a specific deficit in verbal working memory (WM) or deficits in both verbal and nonverbal memory. This study aimed to (a) replicate in larger samples differences between these subgroups in auditory verbal WM; (b) evaluate their performance on tests of explicit memory and sustained attention; (c) determine the relation of verbal WM deficits to auditory hallucinations and other symptoms; and (d) examine medication effects. The verbal WM and tone discrimination performance did not differ between medicated (n = 45) and unmedicated (n = 38) patients. Patients with schizophrenia who passed the tone screening test (discriminators; n = 60) were compared with those who did not (nondiscriminators; n = 23) and healthy controls (n = 47). The discriminator subgroup showed poorer verbal WM than did controls and a deficit in verbal but not visual memory on the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (Wechsler, 1987), whereas the nondiscriminator subgroup showed overall poorer performance on both verbal and nonverbal tests and a marked deficit in sustained attention. Verbal WM deficits in discriminators were correlated with auditory hallucinations but not with negative symptoms. The results are consistent with a verbal memory deficit in a subgroup of schizophrenia having intact auditory perception, which may stem from dysfunction of language-related cortical regions, and a more generalized cognitive deficit in a subgroup having auditory perceptual and attentional dysfunction.<br /> ((c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1939-1846
Volume :
120
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Journal of abnormal psychology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
21319926
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021661