Obsessions and compulsions as a distinct cluster of symptoms in schizophrenia: a neuropsychological study.

Using neurocognitive testing, the present study assessed whether obsessions and compulsions could represent a distinct cluster of symptoms in schizophrenia. We formulated our hypothesis based on data from nonschizophrenic patients, expecting to find that schizophrenic patients with obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms would experience more difficulties in the same cognitive areas as nonschizophrenic patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Patients had separate psychiatric and cognitive evaluations.

Differential relationships between positive and negative symptoms and neuropsychological deficits in schizophrenia.

Unlabelled: This study assessed the relationships between positive and negative clinical symptoms and specific neuropsychological deficits in a group of stable schizophrenic patients.

Method: Thirty patients were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for schizophrenia and a battery of cognitive tests. The PANSS assessments were done by a group of raters blind to the results of cognitive tests, while the cognitive tests were conducted by a different group of raters who remained blind to the PANSS scores.