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Cognitive effects of conventional and atypical antipsychotics in schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2018

Tonmoy Sharma
Tonmoy Sharma*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
Correspondence: Dr T. Sharma, Section of Cognitive Psychopharmacology, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF. Tel: 0171 9193342; Fax: 01717405208; e-mail: [email protected]
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Extract

“Mental efficiency is always diminished to a considerable extent. The patients are distracted, inattentive, tired, dull, do not take pleasure in work, their mind wanders, they lose the connection, they ‘cannot keep the thought in mind‘…” (Kraepelin, 1898)

Cognitive dysfunction has long been recognised as a cardinal feature of schizophrenia, dating back to Kraepelin's description of dementia praecox (1919). Cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia is seen early in the illness and is initially mild, increasing in severity in some chronic patients. It is recognised as a primary and pervasive deficit that is independent of positive symptoms in that it persists after resolution of acute symptoms. It is not restricted to a subgroup and is seen to a greater or lesser extent in almost all patients suffering from schizophrenia (Goldberg et al, 1990).

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 174 , Issue S38: New antipsychotics - preclinical and clinical comparisons , May 1999 , pp. 44 - 51
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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