The relation between psychosis like experiences and cognitive functions in a population based sample

Aim: The individuals considered to have risk for psychosis may have similar cognitive impairments with patients of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The aim of the study is to show that in a community based sample the individuals who have psychotic-like experience (PLE) would have worse cognitive performance than controls and better performance than schizophrenia patients. Besides it was anticipated that the cognitive impairment in subjects with PLE wouldn?t be associated with psychotic, depressive and dissociative symptoms.Method: The sample consisted of schizophrenia patients (n=19), subjects reporting PLE (n=32) and controls (n=23). To assess cognitive functions, Rey Auditory and Verbal Learning, Stroop, Verbal Fluency, Categorical Fluency, Weschler Visual Reproduction, Trail Making A and B, Auditory Consonant Triagram and Digit Span Tests were administered. For clinical assessment of the psychotic, depressive and dissociative symptoms, PANSS, HAM-D and DES were used respectively. The groups were compared based on their cognitive and clinical assessments. In the PLE group, the association between cognition and clinical assessments was examined.Results: The subjects reporting PLE were found to have worse performance on neurocognitive tests except Rey and Stroop Color Reading compared to healthy controls. Although the cognitive functions of individuals with PLE were better than schizophrenia. The groups did not differ significantly with respect to their performance on tests other than Rey and Trail making.Conclusion: Overall, the psychotic like experience group did show worse performance compared to controls but better performance than schizophrenia patients. There was no association between cognitive and clinical status of PLE group.