Cognitive Improvement After Treatment With Second-Generation Antipsychotic Medications in First-Episode Schizophrenia

Abstract

Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is frequent, involves multiple domains of information processing, and may be a core feature of the disorder.^1-4 Thus, neurocognition has come to be viewed as a key target in clinical trials.⁵ Patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) may be an especially important group for such studies because they have demonstrable plasticity in symptomatic response to antipsychotics, can be tested while drug naive, and do not have long histories of multiple antipsychotic drug treatment that may confound results. Furthermore, potential confounders associated with chronicity (patient role, institutionalization, interactions with aging, or disease processes) are minimized.