Relationship between different PANSS cognitive factors and cognition assessed with MCCB in patients with first psychotic episode of schizophrenia

Abstract

Introduction The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) has been used as a universal instrument for clinical assessment of psychopathology in schizophrenia. Different studies have analyzed the factorial structure of this scale and have suggested a five-factor model: positive, negative, excited, depressive, and cognitive/disorganized factors. Two of the most used models are the Marder´s solution and the Wallwork´s one. Objectives The aim of this work was to study the correlations of the two cognitive factors (Marder and Wallwork) with a cognitive assessment performed with a standard cognitive battery, in a sample of patients with first psychotic episode of schizophrenia. Methods Seventy four patients with first psychotic episode of schizophrenia (26.9, SD:7.8 years old; 70.3% male) were included. The cognitive assessment was performed with the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). The MCCB present seven cognitive domains: Speed of processing, Working memory, Attention/Vigilance, Verbal Learning, Visual Learning, Reasoning and Problem Solving, and Social cognition). Pearson correlations were performed between MCCB scores and Marder´s PANSS cognitive factor (P2, N5, G5, G10, G11, G13, G15) and Wallwork´s one (P2, N5, G11). Results Correlation between MCCB scores and cognitive factors of Marder and Wallwork can be seen in the table. Marder´s cognitive factor Wallwork´s cognitive factor Speed of processing r = -0.461; p<0.001 r = -0.455; p<0.001 Attention/Vigilance r = -0.414; p<0.001 r = -0.415; p<0.001 Working memory r = -0.449; p<0.001 r = -0.468; p<0.001 Verbal Learning r = -0.511; p<0.001 r = -0.405; p<0.001 Visual Learning r = -0.252; p=0.024 r = -0.254; p=0.029 Reasoning and Problem Solving r = -0.244; p=0.036 r = -0.272; p=0.019 Social cognition r = -0.268; p=0.024 r = -0.202; p=0.091 Conclusions Both PANSS cognition factors show a moderate correlations with Speed of processing, Working memory, Attention/Vigilance and Verbal Learning assessed by MCCB. More discrete correlations were found with Visual Learning, Reasoning and Problem Solving, and with Social cognition (in fact, non-significant correlation with Wallwork´s cognitive factor was found). Acknowledgements. This study has been funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) through the project PI19/00766 and co-funded by the European Union. Disclosure of Interest None Declared