Effect of time and duration of untreated psychosis on cognitive and social functioning in Chinese
patients with first-episode schizophrenia: A 1-year study
Sammanfattning
Background: Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is believed to exert a deleterious effect on
cognitive and social function. However, to date, results remain inconclusive. Aims: To investigate the
effect of time and DUP on cognitive and social functioning in first-episode schizophrenia (FES)
subjects in Shanghai, China. Methods: FES patients were subjected to a comprehensive
neuropsychological battery, the Personal and Social Performance scale (PSP) and the Positive and
Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) at baseline, 6 month and 1 year. DUP was defined as the time
from onset of first psychotic symptoms to first contact made with psychiatric services. Results:
Though the rate of non-completers in our observational study was relatively high (40%), we did not
find any significant differences between the completers and non-completers (P-values > 0.05).
Significant impairments in verbal learning and memory and executive function were noted over the
course of 1 year. Meanwhile, social function improved significantly over the course of 1 year.
Although, DUP did not share any significant relationship with cognitive or social function the effect
estimate (range: - 0.03 to 0.02) of an increase of 1 month in DUP was clinically non-negligible in this
study. Conclusions: In Chinese FES patients, the longitudinal course of cognitive function tends to
worsen in verbal learning and memory, executive function and motor speed, while that of social
function tends to improve. DUP was not found to be associated with cognitive or social deterioration
in Chinese FES.