Neurocognitive dimensions characterising patients with first-episode psychosis

Background Assessment of neurocognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia is hampered by the multitude of tests used in the literature. Aims We aimed to identify the main dimensions of an assessment battery for patients with first-episode psychosis and to estimate the relationship between dimension scores and gender, age, education, diagnosis and symptoms. Method Eight frequently used neuropsychological tests were used. We tested 219 patients 3 months after start of therapy or at remission, whichever occurred first. Results We identified five dimensions: working memory (WM); verbal learning (VL); executive function (EF); impulsivity (Im); and motor speed (MS). Significant findings were that the MS score was higher for men, and the WM and VL scores were correlated with years of education. Conclusions Neurocognitive function in first-episode. psychosis is described by at least five independent dimensions. Declaration of interest The study was supported by The Norwegian Research Council and by NIMH 01654 (THM).