Novel Test of Executive Function in Schizophrenia

描述（由申请人提供）：神经心理缺陷长期以来被认为是精神分裂症病理学的重要组成部分。一种特别必要的认知能力，即执行功能，已经被反复证明在精神分裂症患者中受到干扰。执行功能完整性允许一个人发展目标导向的行为，并通过适当整合新信息以有目的的方式继续这些行为。执行功能完整性已多次被证明是全球功能的一个强有力的预测因素。病人获得和保持职业的能力，发起和维持社会关系，以及适当地培养和展示自己，都被证明依赖于执行功能的完整性。最广泛使用的执行功能测量是威斯康星州卡片分类测试（WCST）。然而，该测试有一些缺点，这妨碍了对精神分裂症患者执行功能的正确评估。提出了一种新的执行功能测试的开发和验证，可以弥补WCST的缺点。将评估近期发作精神分裂症患者的表现，以及通过强大的不一致双胞胎设计进行测试的表现的遗传性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neuropsychological deficits have long been identified as a crucial component of the pathology of schizophrenia. A particularly necessary cognitive capacity, executive function, has been shown repeatedly - to be disturbed in patients with schizophrenia. Executive function integrity allows one to develop goal directed behaviors and to continue these behaviors in a purposeful manner through the proper integration of new information. Executive function integrity has repeatedly proven to be a robust predictor of global functioning. A patients ability to obtain and retain occupation, initiate and maintain social relationships, and to properly groom and present oneself, have all been shown to be dependent on executive function integrity. The most widely used measure of executive function is the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). This test however has some drawbacks which prevent the proper assessment of executive function in patients with schizophrenia. The development and validation of a novel executive function test is proposed which may remediate the drawbacks of the WCST. Performance of patients with recent onset of schizophrenia will be assessed, as well as, heritability of performance on the test through the powerful discordant twin design.