The Impact of Negative Symptoms and Neurocognition on Functioning in MDD and Schizophrenia
Open Access
- 26 July 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Frontiers Media SA in Frontiers in Psychiatry
Abstract
Introduction: Negative symptoms, neurocognitive deficits and functional impairment are prevalent in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). However, unlike neurocognitive deficits, little is known about the role of negative symptoms toward functioning in individuals with MDD. On the other hand, both factors are well-studied in individuals with SCZ. Thus, this study aimed to examine the contributions of negative symptoms and neurocognitive impairments in functioning in individuals with MDD, compared to individuals with SCZ. Methods: Participants included 50 individuals with MDD, 49 individuals with SCZ and 49 healthy controls. The following measures were administered—Negative Symptom Assessment (NSA-16), Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and MIRECC-Global Assessment of Functioning (MIRECC-GAF) to evaluate negative symptoms, neurocognition, depressive symptoms, and functioning respectively. Results: Both MDD and SCZ groups had significantly more severe negative symptoms, depressive symptoms, and poorer functioning than healthy controls. Individuals with SCZ performed significantly poorer on the BACS than the other two groups. Both negative symptoms and neurocognition were significantly correlated with social and occupational functioning in SCZ. Motivation subdomain of the negative symptoms was significantly correlated with occupational functioning, while depressive symptoms correlated with functioning in MDD. Conclusion: Both negative symptoms and neurocognitive deficits appear to play differential roles on individual domains of functioning between MDD and SCZ. Future longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes should be done for a better understanding about the associations between the factors and functioning.This publication has 52 references indexed in Scilit:
- The relation between mood, cognition and psychosocial functioning in psychiatric disordersEuropean Neuropsychopharmacology, 2012
- Where's the Fun in That? Broadening the Focus on Reward Function in DepressionBiological Psychiatry, 2009
- Relationship of Cognition and Psychopathology to Functional Impairment in SchizophreniaAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2008
- A meta-analysis of randomized trials of behavioural treatment of depressionPsychological Medicine, 2007
- Disability in major depression related to self-rated and objectively-measured cognitive deficits: a preliminary studyBMC Psychiatry, 2007
- Symptoms Versus Neurocognitive Test Performance as Predictors of Psychosocial Status in Schizophrenia: A 1- and 4-Year Prospective StudySchizophrenia Bulletin, 2005
- The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia: reliability, sensitivity, and comparison with a standard neurocognitive batterySchizophrenia Research, 2003
- The PHQ-9Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2001
- Should depression be managed as a chronic disease?BMJ, 2001
- Validation of the 16-item negative symptom assessmentJournal of Psychiatric Research, 1993