Frontiers in Psychiatry (Apr 2015)

Neuropsychology, autobiographical memory and hippocampal volume in younger and older patients with chronic schizophrenia

  • Christina Josefa Herold,
  • Marc Montgomery Lässer,
  • Lena Anna Schmid,
  • Ulrich eSeidl,
  • Li eKong,
  • Iven eFellhauer,
  • Philipp Arthur Thomann,
  • Marco eEssig,,
  • Johannes eSchröder,
  • Johannes eSchröder

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00053
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6

Abstract

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Despite a wide range of studies on neuropsychology in schizophrenia, autobiographical memory (AM) has been scarcely investigated in these patients. Hence less is known about AM in older patients and hippocampal contribution to autobiographical memories of varying remoteness. Therefore we investigated hippocampal volume and AM along with important neuropsychological domains in patients with chronic schizophrenia and the respective relationships between these parameters. We compared 25 older patients with chronic schizophrenia to 23 younger patients and an older healthy control group (N = 21) with respect to AM, additional neuropsychological parameters and hippocampal volume. Personal episodic and semantic memory was investigated using a semi-structured interview. Additional neuropsychological parameters were assessed by using a battery of standard neuropsychological tests. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were analysed with an automated region-of-interest procedure. While hippocampal volume reduction and neuropsychological impairment were more pronounced in the older than in the younger patients, both groups showed equivalent reduced AM performance for recent personal episodes. In the patient group significant correlations between left hippocampal volume and recent autobiographical episodes as well as personal semantic memories arose. Verbal memory and working memory were significantly correlated with right hippocampal volume, executive functions, however, were associated with bilateral hippocampal volumes. These findings underline the complexity of AM and its impairments in the course of schizophrenia in comparison to rather progressive neuropsychological deficits and address the importance of hippocampal contribution.

Keywords