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LOS ANGELES – Certain cognitive measures predict functional ability in older adults with schizophrenia, according to findings from a study involving 110 patients over age 50.
Cognitive deficits are a common and core feature of schizophrenia and are known to be a strong predictor of function in younger adults with the disease. These findings, which indicate that the same is true in older adults, highlight deficits that might be targets for intervention, Angel Y. Liu reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Three of seven tests that are part of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery – the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised (HVLT-R), and the Trail Making Test (TMT) – were found on regression analysis to be more predictive of functional ability in 76 patients than in 34 healthy controls, said Ms. Liu of the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto.
Specifically, the MSCEIT, a measure of social cognition, predicted scores for communication on the University of San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment–Brief (UPSA), which was used in the study to assess functional competence; the HVLT-R, a measure of verbal memory, predicted scores for finances on the UPSA and on the Medication Management Ability Assessment (MMAA), which also was used to assess functional competence; and the TMT predicted total MMAA score.
Patients in the study were clinically stable community-dwelling adults with a current diagnosis of schizophrenia, and controls were community-dwelling adults who did not meet the criteria for any mental disorder. The patients were more impaired than were controls on all clinical measures, including the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (mean scores of 55.3 v.32.8), the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (mean scores of 2.7 vs. 0.5), the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (mean scores of 5.9 vs. 2.8), the Simpson Angus Scale (mean scores of 3.6 vs. 0.1), and the Subjective Well-Being on Neuroleptic Medications scale (mean scores of 88.1 vs. 106.5).
"The schizophrenia group was also impaired, compared with the control group, on cognitive and functional measures. While about half of the cognitive measures predicted functional ability in the schizophrenia group, none except one predicted functional ability in the control group," Ms. Liu noted.
Mean scores in the patients vs. controls on MSCEIT, HVLT-R, and the TMT, for example, were 86.8 vs. 98.3, 17.1 vs. 23.0, and 68.3 vs. 45.6, respectively, and mean scores on the UPSA Communication, UPSA Finances, and MMAA total were 127 vs. 16.1, 15.5 vs. 18.4, and 19.6 vs. 24.0, respectively.
Though limited by a ceiling effect in healthy controls, the findings suggest that the MSCEIT, the HVLT-R, and the TMT reveal deficits specific to schizophrenia, she said, noting that targeting these deficits with appropriate interventions could improve function in older patients with schizophrenia.
Identifying methods for improving the care of older patients with schizophrenia is particularly important given the aging of the population; an estimated 20% of patients with schizophrenia will be aged 65 years or older by 2025, she said.
Ms. Liu reported having no disclosures.
LOS ANGELES – Certain cognitive measures predict functional ability in older adults with schizophrenia, according to findings from a study involving 110 patients over age 50.
Cognitive deficits are a common and core feature of schizophrenia and are known to be a strong predictor of function in younger adults with the disease. These findings, which indicate that the same is true in older adults, highlight deficits that might be targets for intervention, Angel Y. Liu reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Three of seven tests that are part of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery – the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised (HVLT-R), and the Trail Making Test (TMT) – were found on regression analysis to be more predictive of functional ability in 76 patients than in 34 healthy controls, said Ms. Liu of the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto.
Specifically, the MSCEIT, a measure of social cognition, predicted scores for communication on the University of San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment–Brief (UPSA), which was used in the study to assess functional competence; the HVLT-R, a measure of verbal memory, predicted scores for finances on the UPSA and on the Medication Management Ability Assessment (MMAA), which also was used to assess functional competence; and the TMT predicted total MMAA score.
Patients in the study were clinically stable community-dwelling adults with a current diagnosis of schizophrenia, and controls were community-dwelling adults who did not meet the criteria for any mental disorder. The patients were more impaired than were controls on all clinical measures, including the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (mean scores of 55.3 v.32.8), the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (mean scores of 2.7 vs. 0.5), the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (mean scores of 5.9 vs. 2.8), the Simpson Angus Scale (mean scores of 3.6 vs. 0.1), and the Subjective Well-Being on Neuroleptic Medications scale (mean scores of 88.1 vs. 106.5).
"The schizophrenia group was also impaired, compared with the control group, on cognitive and functional measures. While about half of the cognitive measures predicted functional ability in the schizophrenia group, none except one predicted functional ability in the control group," Ms. Liu noted.
Mean scores in the patients vs. controls on MSCEIT, HVLT-R, and the TMT, for example, were 86.8 vs. 98.3, 17.1 vs. 23.0, and 68.3 vs. 45.6, respectively, and mean scores on the UPSA Communication, UPSA Finances, and MMAA total were 127 vs. 16.1, 15.5 vs. 18.4, and 19.6 vs. 24.0, respectively.
Though limited by a ceiling effect in healthy controls, the findings suggest that the MSCEIT, the HVLT-R, and the TMT reveal deficits specific to schizophrenia, she said, noting that targeting these deficits with appropriate interventions could improve function in older patients with schizophrenia.
Identifying methods for improving the care of older patients with schizophrenia is particularly important given the aging of the population; an estimated 20% of patients with schizophrenia will be aged 65 years or older by 2025, she said.
Ms. Liu reported having no disclosures.
LOS ANGELES – Certain cognitive measures predict functional ability in older adults with schizophrenia, according to findings from a study involving 110 patients over age 50.
Cognitive deficits are a common and core feature of schizophrenia and are known to be a strong predictor of function in younger adults with the disease. These findings, which indicate that the same is true in older adults, highlight deficits that might be targets for intervention, Angel Y. Liu reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Three of seven tests that are part of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery – the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised (HVLT-R), and the Trail Making Test (TMT) – were found on regression analysis to be more predictive of functional ability in 76 patients than in 34 healthy controls, said Ms. Liu of the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto.
Specifically, the MSCEIT, a measure of social cognition, predicted scores for communication on the University of San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment–Brief (UPSA), which was used in the study to assess functional competence; the HVLT-R, a measure of verbal memory, predicted scores for finances on the UPSA and on the Medication Management Ability Assessment (MMAA), which also was used to assess functional competence; and the TMT predicted total MMAA score.
Patients in the study were clinically stable community-dwelling adults with a current diagnosis of schizophrenia, and controls were community-dwelling adults who did not meet the criteria for any mental disorder. The patients were more impaired than were controls on all clinical measures, including the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (mean scores of 55.3 v.32.8), the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (mean scores of 2.7 vs. 0.5), the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (mean scores of 5.9 vs. 2.8), the Simpson Angus Scale (mean scores of 3.6 vs. 0.1), and the Subjective Well-Being on Neuroleptic Medications scale (mean scores of 88.1 vs. 106.5).
"The schizophrenia group was also impaired, compared with the control group, on cognitive and functional measures. While about half of the cognitive measures predicted functional ability in the schizophrenia group, none except one predicted functional ability in the control group," Ms. Liu noted.
Mean scores in the patients vs. controls on MSCEIT, HVLT-R, and the TMT, for example, were 86.8 vs. 98.3, 17.1 vs. 23.0, and 68.3 vs. 45.6, respectively, and mean scores on the UPSA Communication, UPSA Finances, and MMAA total were 127 vs. 16.1, 15.5 vs. 18.4, and 19.6 vs. 24.0, respectively.
Though limited by a ceiling effect in healthy controls, the findings suggest that the MSCEIT, the HVLT-R, and the TMT reveal deficits specific to schizophrenia, she said, noting that targeting these deficits with appropriate interventions could improve function in older patients with schizophrenia.
Identifying methods for improving the care of older patients with schizophrenia is particularly important given the aging of the population; an estimated 20% of patients with schizophrenia will be aged 65 years or older by 2025, she said.
Ms. Liu reported having no disclosures.
AT THE AAGP ANNUAL MEETING
Major finding: Three cognitive function tests were found to predict function in older adults. Mean scores in the patients vs. controls on MSCEIT, HVLT-R, and the TMT were 86.8 vs. 98.3, 17.1 vs. 23.0, and 68.3 vs. 45.6, respectively. Mean scores on the UPSA Communication, UPSA Finances, and MMAA total were 127 vs. 16.1, 15.5 vs. 18.4, and 19.6 vs. 24.0, respectively.
Data source: An evaluation of the relationship between cognition and function in 110 older adults with schizophrenia.
Disclosures: Ms. Liu reported having no disclosures.