Sex Differences in Neuropsychological Functioning of First-Episode and Chronically Ill Schizophrenic Patients

Han

Comprehensive Psychiatry

et al. 2015

This study investigated gender differences in cognition in schizophrenia with and without diabetes. Cognition was assessed in 263 individuals with schizophrenia with age range (40-68): 67 males and 34 females with schizophrenia with diabetes; and 125 males and 37 females with schizophrenia without diabetes according to the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS). Fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and lipid levels were measured. Results showed that male individuals performed worse on most cognitive tasks, especially attention, in schizophrenia with than without diabetes. This result was not observed in female individuals. Also, individuals of both genders showed higher fasting glucose and HbA1c in schizophrenia with than without diabetes. In schizophrenia with diabetes, males had significantly worse cognition than females in all cognitive domains. Higher HbA1c, lower high-density lipoprotein, and an earlier age of onset of schizophrenia were found in males compared with female individuals. HbA1c was negatively associated with attention and the RBANS total score for males but not for females. In schizophrenia without diabetes, males showed worse performance in immediate and delayed memory than females. This study support cognition was worse for males with schizophrenia irrespective of whether they have diabetes or not. However, diabetes exemplified the gender differences, especially in attention. Disciplines Medicine and Health Sciences Publication DetailsZhang, B., Han, M., Zhang, X., Hui, L., Jiang, S., Yang, F., Tan 1 Both authors contributed equally to this work.Running title: Gender differences in cognition in schizophrenia ABSTRACTThis study investigated gender differences in cognition in schizophrenia with and without diabetes. Cognition was assessed in 263 individuals with schizophrenia with age range (40-68): 67 males and 34 females with schizophrenia with diabetes; and 125 males and 37 females with schizophrenia without diabetes according to the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS). Fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c) and lipid levels were measured. Results showed that male individuals performed worse on most cognitive tasks, especially attention, in schizophrenia with than without diabetes. This result was not observed in female individuals. Also, individuals of both genders showed higher fasting glucose and HbA1c in schizophrenia with than without diabetes. In schizophrenia with diabetes, males had significantly worse cognition than females in all cognitive domains. Higher HbA1c, lower high-density lipoprotein, and an earlier age of onset of schizophrenia were found in males compared with female individuals.HbA1c was negatively associated with attention and the RBANS total score for males but not for females. In schizophrenia without diabetes, males showed worse performance in immediate and delayed memory than females. This study support cognition was worse for males with schizophrenia irrespective of whether the...

Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

Section: Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gender differences in cognitive deficits in schizophrenia with and without diabetes

Han

Comprehensive Psychiatry

et al. 2015

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

“…For example, some studies have reported that male patients appear to have more cognitive impairment than females (Goldstein et al, 1998;Seidman et al, 1997), while others have found that female schizophrenics exhibit greater cognitive deficits than males (Lewine et al, 1996). Moreover, some studies failed to find any sex differences in cognitive deficits of schizophrenia (Goldberg et al, 1995;Hoff et al, 1998). These conflicting results suggested that further study of the sex differences in the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia might benefit from examination in another non-Western culture such as China.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender differences in cognitive function of patients with chronic schizophrenia

Han¹,

Huang²,

Chen³

et al. 2012

122

Schizophrenic patients have cognitive impairments, but gender differences in these cognitive deficits have had limited study. This study assessed cognitive functioning in 471 subjects including 122 male and 78 female schizophrenic patients and 141 male and 130 female healthy controls. We found that immediate memory, language, delayed memory and total RBANS scores were significantly decreased in schizophrenia compared with healthy controls for both genders. Male patients had significant lower immediate memory, delayed memory and total RBANS scores than female patients, and healthy controls showed a similar gender difference. The RBANS showed modest correlations with PANSS scores, duration of illness and antipsychotic dose (chlorpromazine equivalents). Almost all RBANS scores in the schizophrenics and healthy controls showed significant positive correlations with education. Thus, patients of both sexes with schizophrenia experienced more deteriorated performance than healthy controls on cognitive domains of immediate memory, language and delayed memory. Furthermore, male schizophrenic patients had more serious cognitive deficits than female patients in immediate and delayed memory, but not in language, visuospatial and attention indices. AbstractSchizophrenic patients have cognitive impairments, but gender differences in these cognitive deficits have had limited study. This study assessed cognitive functioning in 471 subjects including 172 male and 78 female schizophrenic patients and 141 male and 130 female healthy controls. We found that immediate memory, language, delayed memory and total RBANS scores were significantly decreased in schizophrenia compared with healthy controls for both genders. Male patients had significant lower immediate memory, delayed memory and total RBANS scores than female patients, and healthy controls showed a similar gender difference. The RBANS showed modest correlations with PANSS scores, duration of illness and antipsychotic dose (chlorpromazine equivalents). Almost all RBANS scores in the schizophrenics and healthy controls showed significant positive correlations with education. Thus, patients of both sexes with schizophrenia experienced more deteriorated performance than healthy controls on cognitive domains of immediate memory, language and delayed memory.Furthermore, male schizophrenic patients had more serious cognitive deficits than female patients in immediate and delayed memory, but not in language, visuospatial and attention indices.

“…Bozikas et al 5 found that the degree of cognitive impairment is similar for male and female patients with schizophrenia. Similarly, Hoff et al 6 reported that females with schizophrenia performed better than males with schizophrenia in visual memory, but the difference did not remain after adjusting for symptom severity. Roesch-Ely et al 7 found no difference in working memory between females and males in either controls or patients with schizophrenia, whereas females with schizophrenia performed worse in attention tasks than males with schizophrenia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Sex-specific cognitive abnormalities in early-onset psychosis

Ruiz‐Veguilla

Moreno-Granados

Salcedo-Marin

et al. 2017

Rev. Bras. Psiquiatr.

Objectives: Brain maturation differs depending on the area of the brain and sex. Girls show an earlier peak in maturation of the prefrontal cortex. Although differences between adult females and males with schizophrenia have been widely studied, there has been less research in girls and boys with psychosis. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in verbal and visual memory, verbal working memory, auditory attention, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility between boys and girls. Methods: We compared a group of 80 boys and girls with first-episode psychosis to a group of controls. Results: We found interactions between group and sex in verbal working memory (p = 0.04) and auditory attention (p = 0.01). The female controls showed better working memory (p = 0.01) and auditory attention (p = 0.001) than males. However, we did not find any sex differences in working memory (p = 0.91) or auditory attention (p = 0.93) in the psychosis group. Conclusions: These results are consistent with the presence of sex-modulated cognitive profiles at first presentation of early-onset psychosis.