TY - JOUR
T1 - Correlations of functional capacity and neuropsychological performance in older patients with schizophrenia
T2 - Evidence for specificity of relationships?
AU - McClure, Margaret M.
AU - Bowie, Christopher R.
AU - Patterson, Thomas L.
AU - Heaton, Robert K.
AU - Weaver, Christine
AU - Anderson, Hannah
AU - Harvey, Philip D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by NIMH Grant Number MH 63116 to Dr. Harvey, the Mt. Sinai Silvio Conte Neuroscience Center (NIMH MH 36692; KL Davis PI) and the VA VISN 3 MIRECC.
Funding Information:
This research was also supported by the Mt. Sinai Silvio Conte Neuroscience Center (NIMH MH 66392; KL Davis PI).
PY - 2007/1
Y1 - 2007/1
N2 - Background: Neuropsychological (NP) performance is a consistent correlate of everyday functioning in schizophrenia, but it is unclear whether relationships between individual NP ability areas and domains of everyday functioning are general or specific. Assessments of real-world everyday functioning may be influenced by environmental and social factors (e.g., social security, disability status, opportunities and restrictions in living situations). This study examined the specificity of the relationships between different NP abilities and performance-based measures of social and living skills. Methods: 181 ambulatory older (age> 50) patients with schizophrenia were examined with NP tests measuring episodic and working memory, executive functioning, verbal fluency, and processing speed. All subjects performed tasks examining social (Social Skills Performance Assessment: SSPA) and everyday living (UCSD Performance Based Skills Assessment: UPSA) skills. Results: Using canonical analysis, the NP variables were used to predict the functional capacity measures. The analysis found that 37% of the variance in the functional capacity and NP measures was shared, X2 (54) = 106.29, p < .001. Two canonical roots described the cognitive variables and the roots were differentially associated with everyday living and social skills. The root loading on processing speed, episodic memory, and executive functions were associated with UPSA scores, while the root loading on working and episodic memory and verbal fluency were associated most strongly with social competence. Implications: Social and everyday living skills deficits in patients with schizophrenia may reflect generally independent domains of functional outcome, linked through cognitive performance. The data suggest that somewhat different cognitive processes are associated with these two domains of functional capacity, although there appears to be some overlap, which may be due to the nature of the NP tests employed.
AB - Background: Neuropsychological (NP) performance is a consistent correlate of everyday functioning in schizophrenia, but it is unclear whether relationships between individual NP ability areas and domains of everyday functioning are general or specific. Assessments of real-world everyday functioning may be influenced by environmental and social factors (e.g., social security, disability status, opportunities and restrictions in living situations). This study examined the specificity of the relationships between different NP abilities and performance-based measures of social and living skills. Methods: 181 ambulatory older (age> 50) patients with schizophrenia were examined with NP tests measuring episodic and working memory, executive functioning, verbal fluency, and processing speed. All subjects performed tasks examining social (Social Skills Performance Assessment: SSPA) and everyday living (UCSD Performance Based Skills Assessment: UPSA) skills. Results: Using canonical analysis, the NP variables were used to predict the functional capacity measures. The analysis found that 37% of the variance in the functional capacity and NP measures was shared, X2 (54) = 106.29, p < .001. Two canonical roots described the cognitive variables and the roots were differentially associated with everyday living and social skills. The root loading on processing speed, episodic memory, and executive functions were associated with UPSA scores, while the root loading on working and episodic memory and verbal fluency were associated most strongly with social competence. Implications: Social and everyday living skills deficits in patients with schizophrenia may reflect generally independent domains of functional outcome, linked through cognitive performance. The data suggest that somewhat different cognitive processes are associated with these two domains of functional capacity, although there appears to be some overlap, which may be due to the nature of the NP tests employed.
KW - Everyday living skills
KW - Factor analysis
KW - Functional capacity
KW - Neuropsychology
KW - Social skills
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U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2006.07.024
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2006.07.024
M3 - Article
C2 - 16982175
AN - SCOPUS:33845310847
VL - 89
SP - 330
EP - 338
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
SN - 0920-9964
IS - 1-3
ER -
