Social Cognition and Neurocognition: Effects of Risperidone, Olanzapine, and Haloperidol.

Objective: This study examined the short-term effects of first- and second-generation antipsychotic medications on social cognition and basic cognition. Method: One hundred patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder participated in an 8 week, double-blind study of risperidone, olanzapine, and haloperidol. Participants were administered multiple measures of social cognition, basic cognition, and clinical symptoms at baseline, the end of week 4, and the end of week 8.

Social cognition [corrected] and neurocognition: effects of risperidone, olanzapine, and haloperidol.

Objective: This study examined the short-term effects of first- and second-generation antipsychotic medications on social cognition and basic cognition.

Method: One hundred patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder participated in an 8 week, double-blind study of risperidone, olanzapine, and haloperidol. Participants were administered multiple measures of social cognition, basic cognition, and clinical symptoms at baseline, the end of week 4, and the end of week 8.

Effects of olanzapine, risperidone and haloperidol on prepulse inhibition in schizophrenia patients: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Prepulse inhibition (PPI), whereby the startle eyeblink response is inhibited by a relatively weak non-startling stimulus preceding the powerful startle eliciting stimulus, is a measure of sensorimotor gating and has been shown to be deficient in schizophrenia patients. There is considerable interest in whether conventional and/or atypical antipsychotic medications can "normalize" PPI deficits in schizophrenia patients. 51 schizophrenia patients participated in a randomized, double-blind controlled trial on the effects of three commonly-prescribed antipsychotic medications (risperidone, olanzapine, or haloperidol) on PPI, startle habituation, and startle reactivity.

Social cognition in schizophrenia: relationships with neurocognition and negative symptoms.

Despite the growing importance of social cognition in schizophrenia, fundamental issues concerning the nature of social cognition in schizophrenia remain unanswered. One issue concerns the strength of the relationships between social cognition and key features of the disorder such as neurocognitive deficits and negative symptoms. The current study employed structural equation modeling to examine three key questions regarding the nature of social cognition in schizophrenia: 1) Are social cognition and neurocognition in schizophrenia better modeled as one or two separate constructs? 2) Are social cognition and negative symptoms in schizophrenia better modeled as one or two separate constructs?, and 3) When social cognition, neurocognition, and negative symptoms are included in a single model, is social cognition more closely related to neurocognition or to negative symptoms? In this cross sectional study, one hundred outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were administered measures of social cognition, neurocognition, and negative symptoms.

Treatment of schizophrenia negative symptoms: future prospects.

New findings from neuroscience, genetics, and experimental psychology have emerged that provide alternative explanations of many negative symptoms. We review the continuing limitations in treatment and discuss possible sources of heterogeneity among negative symptoms. We also anticipate conceptual uncertainties that may arise with forthcoming treatment developments.

Clinical utility of magnetic resonance imaging radiographs for suspected organic syndromes in adult psychiatry.

Objective: In psychiatric practice, adult patients are most commonly referred for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to screen for suspected organic medical diseases of the central nervous system that can mimic psychiatric syndromes. We identified the most common signs and symptoms prompting MRIs to establish the predictive value of these signs and symptoms for clinically pertinent organic syndromes.

Method: This study was a retrospective chart review of psychiatric patients at the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care Center (Los Angeles, Calif.

Understanding the new and evolving profile of adverse drug effects in schizophrenia.

This article has reviewed the emerging side-effect profiles of second-generation antipsychotic medications. Although these medications have favorable extrapyramidal side-effect profiles, clinicians must be aware of their propensity to cause weight gain, glucose and lipid abnormalities, and cardiac and sexual side effects. If clinicians are proactive about warning patients about these side effects and appropriately monitoring them, further morbidity and mortality may be prevented in this patient population.