Executive function and cognitive subprocesses in first-episode, drug-naive schizophrenia: an analysis of N-back performance.

Objective: This study investigated changes in the cognitive architecture of N-back performance in schizophrenia.

Method: N-back performance of 12 patients with first-episode, drug-naive schizophrenia and matched healthy comparison subjects was studied in a reaction-time decomposition paradigm.

Results: Imposition of a working memory load led to a significant drop in response accuracy in patients.