Long term cognitive outcomes 10 years after first episode schizophrenia

The natural history of neurocognition in schizophrenia is unclear, with great uncertainty over whether the common baseline, characterised by a range of functional and neurocognitive deficits reported in subjects with, and at risk of, schizophrenia can provide any prediction as to patient outlook and outcome. Several recent follow-up studies have tracked ‘change’ in neurocognition over time (Censits et al, 1997; Heaton et al, 2001; Hughes et al, 2002). Studies restricted to first episode cases (Nopoulos et al, 1994; Gold et al 1999; Townsend et al, 2002) have yielded equivocal findings, with some authors reporting no overall pattern of change (see Rund’s metaanalysis: Rund, 1998) and others reporting modest and/or selective improvement over time (Hoff et al, 1999; Townsend et al, 2002). Unfortunately, first-episode studies have, for the most part, been limited by the relatively short duration of follow-up (often less than 24 months) and/or significant sample attrition.