Verbal Working Memory in Schizophrenia: Relationship to Cigarette Smoking and Psychopathology
A number of researches suggest smoking serves as a form of self-medication to reduce the side effects of antipsychotic medications, to alleviate negative symptoms, and/or to ameliorate a number of cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. Objective: The aim of this study was to investiga...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Malaysian Psychiatric Association
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.usm.my/43880/ http://eprints.usm.my/43880/1/Verbal%20Working%20Memory%20in%20Schizophrenia.pdf |
| Summary: | A number of researches suggest smoking serves as a form of
self-medication to reduce the side effects of antipsychotic medications, to
alleviate negative symptoms, and/or to ameliorate a number of cognitive
deficits associated with schizophrenia. Objective: The aim of this study was to
investigate the association of cigarette smoking with verbal working memory
and psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Fifty-three
patients with schizophrenia were assessed by a single rater using the Malay
Version of Auditory Verbal Learning Test (MVAVLT) and Positive and
Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Smokers (n=30) were compared with
nonsmokers (n=23) on socio-demographic, clinical, psychopathology and
verbal memory variables. Single linear and multiple regression analysis were
performed to determine factors associated with verbal memory performance.
Results: Verbal working memory performance is associated with lower
number of admission to ward, lesser severity of the negative symptoms or
general psychopathology of schizophrenia and use of atypical antipsychotics
in all schizophrenic subjects. Smokers with schizophrenia scored higher than
non- smoker in measures that reflect immediate memory, delayed recall and
recognition memory. However, the association between verbal working
memory performance and smoking status was found to be not significant.
Conclusion: Verbal working memory performance is associated with negative
symptoms but not positive symptoms. This study failed to detect association
of smoking on verbal working memory. |
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