Successful evaluation of cognitive function and the nature of cognitive deficits among people with schizophrenia in clinical rehabilitation settings.

Objectives: Despite possessing considerable relevance for planning and delivery of effective rehabilitation interventions, systematic evaluation of cognitive function is often ignored in clinical practice. This paper describes a successful method for measuring cognitive function and the nature of cognitive deficits (CD) in people with schizophrenia admitted to psychiatric rehabilitation services.

Methods: Data on the cognitive functioning of consecutive patients with schizophrenia / schizoaffective disorder admitted during a 5-year period to a public in-patient rehabilitation facility was collated retrospectively and analysed.