A cross-sectional study of cognitive functions and disability in schizophrenia from a tertiary care hospital in North India

Abstract

Background: Cognitive functions are important predictors of day to day functioning. Cognitive functions are significantly affected in schizophrenia and various other psychiatric disorders. There are very few Indian studies studying the relationship between cognitive functions and disability. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to assess the cognitive functions in stable patients of schizophrenia and compare them with normal controls and also to study the relationship between cognition and disability in these patients. Materials and Methods: Thirty stable patients of schizophrenia attending psychiatry outpatient clinic of a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India were included in the study. Thirty healthy volunteers with no psychiatric illness matched for age, gender, and education were also included cognitive functions were assessed using Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia and disability was assessed using WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). Results: Highly significant difference (P < 0.0001) was found between the cognitive functions of the schizophrenia group and healthy control group. The patients of schizophrenia had a maximum disability in the area of life activities followed by participation and cognition. There existed a significant negative correlation between cognition and mobility (r = −0.45, P < 0.05), getting along with people (r = −0.44, P < 0.05), life activities (r = −0.42, P < 0.05), participation (r = −0.39, P ≤ 0.05), and total scores on WHODAS 2.0 (r = −0.48, P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: Cognitive functions are an important predictor of disability. Cognitive deficits exist even in the stable patients of schizophrenia which is significantly higher than the healthy group.

Keywords

• Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia
• cognitive function
• cognitive functions and disability
• disability
• schizophrenia