Abstract

OBJECTIVES Cognitive impairment is known to occur in schizophrenia, and may be marked in institutionalised patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether it ever warrants an additional diagnosis of dementia.

METHODS A population of chronic schizophrenic patients who were aged 65 or younger and showed no organic risk factors for dementia were screened for presence of disorientation. Any showing this underwent neuropsychological testing, physical investigations, and structural and functional neuroimaging. Information about day to day cognitive function was also obtained from carers.

RESULTS Eight patients aged 28 to 64 were identified who showed disorientation; in all cases this was accompanied by general intellectual impairment and objective evidence of a dementia syndrome. The patients' schizophrenic symptoms were unexceptional and did not seem sufficient to account for their cognitive impairment. Neuropsychological testing disclosed relative sparing of visual and visuospatial function and language syntax, but pervasive deficits in memory and executive function. Brain CT demonstrated only minor abnormalities but most of the patients showed frontal or temporal hypoperfusion on SPECT.

CONCLUSIONS Dementia in schizophrenia seems to be a real entity with a neuropsychological signature similar to that of frontotemporal dementia. Functional but not structural imaging abnormalities may also be characteristic.