Cognitive function in ultra high-risk subjects and first degree relatives with schizophrenia

Objective To explore the characteristics of cognitive impariment in ultra high-risk subjects and familial high risk group with schizophrenia. Methods The cognitive function was assessed by the Trail Marking Test, Symbol Coding(SC), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R), Brief Visual spatial Memory Test-Revised(BVMT-R), Continuous Performance Test (CPT) from MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery, and Stroop Test in ultra high-risk (UHR) group, unaffected first-degree relatives (FDR) group and health control (HC) group, and 30 cases in each group. The difference among groups was analyzed by SPSS17.0 soft. Results (1)The SC (t=-4.191, P<0.01), HVLT-R (t=0.754, P=0.005),CPT (t=-3.780, P= 0.001) and Stroop (Stroop words t=- 4.073, P<0.01, Stroop color t=- 2.033, P=0.047, Stroop color words t=- 3.609, P=0.001) test scores between the UHR and HC groups showed significant differences. (2)SC (t=- 2.247, P=0.028), HVLT-R (t=- 2.038, P=0.046), BVMT-R (t=- 2.209, P=0.031), CPT (t=- 2.687, P= 0.011) and Stroop (Stroop words t=- 4.655, P<0.01, Stroop color words t=- 2.341, P=0.023) test scores between the FDR and HC groups showed significant differences. (3)UHR group (43.9±10.7) showed lower scores than FDR group (50.1±11.3) in the SC test, and it showed significant difference (t=-2.188, P=0.033). (4)In the UHR group, there were no significant differences for the cognitive function between the subjects with genetic risk met the criteria for genetic risk and deterioration psychosis-risk syndrome and attenuated positive symptom psychosis-risk syndrome (n=8) and the subjects with pure genetic risk and deterioration psychosis-risk syndrome (n=9). Conclusions Cognitive impairment appeares in the UHR and FDR populations, including the information-processing speed, verbal learning, working memory, attention/vigilance and so on. The UHR subjects present worse in information-processing speed. Key words: Schizophrenia; Cognition; Ultra high-risk; Familial high risk