Performance tests in a study of phenothiazines in schizophrenia: Caveats and conclusions

✍ Scribed by Nina R. Schooler; Solomon C. Goldberg

• Book ID: 104759042
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1972
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 876 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0033-3158
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00402906

✦ Synopsis

A battery of performance tests was administered to acutely ill schizophrenic patients prior to treatment and repeatedly during a 26-week course of treatment with one of three phenothiazines (aeetophenazine, ehlorpromazine or fluphenazine). Included were measures of simple reaction-time, cognitive stimulus generalization, sway suggestibility, definition of affeetively toned words and subjective uncertainty. Each of these measures were chosen to reflect a specific aspect of schizophrenic deficit or dysfunction. Changes in performance over time and correlations with symptom rating scales of psychopathology presumably tapping the same schizophrenic dysfunctions were examined.

Most changes in performance oceured between the initial and first repeated testing. Correlations with clinical ratings were seen primarily in symptoms of withdrawal and cognitive disturbance.