Neuropsychological Deficits in Schizophrenia Patients

Background: Schizophrenic patients have been determined a variety of neuropsychological deficits such as inability to pay proper attention, impaired information processing, inability to recall information and respond to information quickly, inability to think critically, problems of the plan and organized, inability to solve a simple problem and make a decision, impaired speech and language, etc. Aim: The present study has been undertaken to determine the effects of age on neuropsychological deficits in schizophrenia patients. Method: The sample consists of 100 schizophrenia patients and 100 normal control subjects, age range from 20 to 50n years based on a purposive sampling technique. Bender Gestalt Test-II (BGT-II) and Comprehensive Trail Making Test (CTMT) were used to determine neuropsychological deficits in schizophrenia patients. Result: The age of schizophrenia patients determined neuropsychological deficits in comparison to normal control subjects on BGT-II and CTMT. Schizophrenia patients performed poorly to copy the design and also took more time to copy of design on Bender Gestalt Test-II as compared to normal control subjects. Similar trends have been found in recall of design on BGT-II, schizophrenia patients have been performed impaired on perception tests and also performed slowing motor function. Schizophrenia patients have taken more time and committed more errors as compared to normal control subjects in trail 1, trail 2, trail 3, trail 4 and also trail 5 on CTMT.