OBJECTIVE: Schizophrenic patients are particularly deficient on measures
of executive functioning, notably the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. This
study was conducted to determine the efficacy of a cuing strategy in
facilitating performance on this cognitive measure of the integrity of
prefrontal brain structures and functioning. METHOD: Twenty-four
schizophrenic inpatients and 24 demographically matched inpatients with
mood disorders were administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test either
with instructional cues at the beginning of the task or with the standard
administration procedure. RESULTS: There was a significant benefit of cues
for the patients with affective disorders as well as for the schizophrenic
patients. The schizophrenic subjects in the uncued condition maintained
poor but stable performance throughout the course of the task. CONCLUSIONS:
The study suggests that the deficit in executive functioning of
schizophrenic patients may lie in the formation of concepts, not in their
application.Abstract Teaser