Abstract:

Objective·To compare the neurocognitive function between first episode schizophrenia, ultra-high-risk population, and high-risk population. Methods·Twenty-two ultra-high-risk patients met the Criteria of Psychosis-risk Syndromes (ultra-high-risk group), 57 first episode schizophrenia patients who were at acute phase and met  “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (4th edition)(first episode group), and 34 first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia (high-risk group) were selected. Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, Groove Pegboard Test, Trail Making Test A, Color Trail Making Test Ⅱ, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Category Fluency Test, Stroop Color Word Test, Symbol Coding Test, Paced Auditory Seria Addition Test were used to evaluate the neurocognitive function in three groups. Results·In all neurocognitive tests, the damage of subdominant hands in fine motor of Groove Pegboard Test (39.47±12.30) in the high-risk group was the most obvious. The damage of Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (38.75±8.21) and dominant hands in fine motor of Groove Pegboard Test (36.45±8.52) in the ultra-high-risk group was the most significant, while the damage of dominant hands (32.04±10.55) and subdominant hands (28.82±10.78) in fine motor of Groove Pegboard Test, and Color Trail Making Test Ⅱ (32.06±14.99) in the first episode group was the most obvious. In three groups, scores of all cognitive tests in the ultra-high-risk group were between those in the high-risk group and the first episode group except the Category Fluency Test, Stroop Color Word Test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Conclusion·First episode schizophrenia, high-risk, and ultra-high-risk populations have different neurocognitive impairments. Different areas of nerve cognitive function may develop differently in the process of schizophrenia development. Ultra-high-risk patients have extensive and significant impairments in nerve cognitive area with the degree between unaffected first-degree relatives and first-episode schizophrenia.

Key words: neurocognitive, schizophrenia, ultra-high-risk