Davalos Deana B, Compagnon Nina, Heinlein Shari, Ross Randal G
Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 East 9th Avenue, Denver, CO 80262, USA.
Schizophr Res. 2004 Apr 1;67(2-3):123-30. doi: 10.1016/S0920-9964(03)00187-7.
By studying neuropsychological performance in children genetically at-risk for schizophrenia, greater understanding may be obtained regarding the developmental processes of schizophrenia and associated cognitive weaknesses. A variety of cognitive deficits in genetically at-risk children have been reported. The present study was designed to examine cognitive tasks that have traditionally differentiated children genetically at-risk for schizophrenia (e.g. working memory) from normal children, while also assessing abilities that have received scant attention in this population. Aspects of emotional perception, verbal abilities, inhibition, visuo-spatial skills, and working memory were assessed in children of schizophrenic parents and normal children. Significant differences in performances were identified in at-risk children on measures of verbal skills, working memory and inhibition. Findings suggest that children genetically at-risk for developing schizophrenia exhibit neurocognitive weaknesses generally consistent with those noted in the literature. However, inhibition also appeared to be a cognitive process that significantly differentiated the groups. The possibility of a developmental expression of neurocognitive deficits is discussed.
通过研究精神分裂症遗传易患儿童的神经心理表现，或许能更深入地了解精神分裂症的发展过程及相关认知弱点。已有报道称，遗传易患儿童存在多种认知缺陷。本研究旨在检验那些传统上能区分精神分裂症遗传易患儿童（如工作记忆）与正常儿童的认知任务，同时评估该群体中较少受到关注的能力。对精神分裂症患者父母的子女和正常儿童的情绪感知、语言能力、抑制能力、视觉空间技能及工作记忆等方面进行了评估。在语言技能、工作记忆和抑制能力的测量中，发现遗传易患儿童的表现存在显著差异。研究结果表明，精神分裂症遗传易患儿童表现出的神经认知弱点总体上与文献中所指出的一致。然而，抑制能力似乎也是一个能显著区分两组儿童的认知过程。文中还讨论了神经认知缺陷发展性表现的可能性。
