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Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia may arise due to certain brain changes such as the following.
Schizophrenia is associated with problems in learning, memory, thinking, and reasoning (cognitive deficits). Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia may arise due to certain brain changes such as:
- Disorders that affect the development of neurons (nerve cells)
- Changes in brain plasticity (the brain can reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life)
- Structural changes in the brain
Changes in neuroplasticity are responsible for causing negative symptoms and executive dysfunction (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems) associated with schizophrenia.
Changes in nerve development result in altered brain plasticity, resulting in cognitive deficits.
Genetics can play a huge role in defining our cognition. Studies report that genes may play a role in working memory and intelligence.
Hence, memory deficits related to schizophrenia are mainly due to genetic factors.
What other factors influence cognitive function?
Other factors that can have a significant influence on cognition include:
- Age: As a person ages, some structural and functional changes occur in the brain, resulting in alteration of brain plasticity and further cognitive deficits.
- Intelligence quotient: People with a low intelligent quotient have problems with cognition.
- Neurotransmitter: Schizophrenia is caused by an imbalance of various neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and acetylcholine. These neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating cognitive function. Any imbalance can lead to cognitive deficits seen in people with schizophrenia.
6 different cognitive dysfunctions seen in schizophrenia
The severity of cognitive deficits may vary with the individual. Schizophrenia is associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder that can result in psychosis (loss of touch with reality).
Some of the major cognitive domains affected in schizophrenia include:
- Attention and vigilance: People with schizophrenia may face attention disorder as a major issue. Attention disorder is characterized by a decreased speed in understanding information quickly. Attention is critical for many other cognitive functions such as learning.
- Learning and memory: People with schizophrenia may have an impaired ability to recall, recognize, and learn visual and verbal materials. They might take longer to understand information than other people and require repeated exposure to the information.
- Working memory: Working memory is the ability to hold a small amount of information and use it for executing cognitive tasks. For example, in a math class, a kid might visualize numbers in their head dictated by their teacher due to working memory. However, people with schizophrenia have impaired verbal and nonverbal working memory.
- Executive function:
- Executive functions refer to the capacity to:
- Formulate goals.
- Plan and organize goal-directed behavior.
- Carry out goal-directed behavior fully and effectively.
- Monitor and self-correct one’s behavior.
- People with schizophrenia may have varying grades of impaired executive function. As a result, the person may face disturbances in treatment response.
- Executive functions refer to the capacity to:
- Problem-solving: Because people with schizophrenia have impaired executive function, they may face difficulty adapting to sudden changes in their surroundings.
- Problem-solving can be secondary to a deficit in the areas of:
- Initiation of tasks
- Attention
- Concentration
- Working memory
- Preservation
- Problem-solving can be secondary to a deficit in the areas of:
- Social cognition: People with schizophrenia may have difficulty recognizing and distinguishing faces and emotions, interfering significantly with their social life. They may also have declined intellectual ability due to deterioration in IQ.
How can cognitive deficit be treated in people with schizophrenia?
There are two approaches to treating cognitive deficit in people with schizophrenia, which include:
- Pharmacological approach: Antipsychotic medications are the primary option for treating psychosis. Atypical antipsychotics have shown mild cognition improvement. Newer antipsychotic drugs have been showing promising results in enhancing cognition.
- Nonpharmacological treatment: Apart from medicines, some ways to enhance your cognition include
- Psychosocial therapy
- Family therapy
- Individual psychotherapy
- Rehabilitation
- Self-help groups