Neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia and how it affects treatment options.

OBJECTIVE

To review the roles played by neurocognitive assessment in the treatment of schizophrenia and in the design of treatment research strategies.

METHOD

A review of the literature and summaries of clinical and research implications are presented, with directions for future research.

RESULTS

Neurocognitive deficits are now targets of antipsychotic drug treatment and should increasingly be used to refine both theory and clinical practice by considering the effects of treatments at the level of neural systems.

CONCLUSION

Efforts to bridge the gaps between preclinical and clinical assessments should yield large rewards in drug development and individualized treatment strategies. Functional neuroimaging may play a major role in these developments.