A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON NEUROCOGNITIVE DEFICITS AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AND AFFECTIVE DISORDER

Background: Over decades compromised neurocognitive functions in schizophrenia and affective disorder have been substantially documented, with largely similar profiles of deficits, but results are varied between studies.The present study is yet another attempt at such comparison. Aims and Objective: The purpose of our study is to compare the neurocognitive deficits among individuals with schizophrenia and affective disorder. Materials and Method: The present study is conducted among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n=37) and affective disorder (n=37).Their neurocognitive functions were assessed using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test,Color Trails Test,Controlled Oral Word Association Test,and Tower of London Test.The Chi-square test is used to compare the neurocognitive deficits between the two clinical groups. Results: Both the clinical groups have performed poor in the neurocognitive test.Comparatively schizophrenic patients have performed poorer than affective disorder.Individuals with schizophrenia have obtained a higher number of deficits on attention, speed of information processing, and planning whereas individuals with the affective disorder had an increased number of deficits in verbal fluency. Conclusion: Despite the differences in the degree of neurocognitive deficit between the clinical groups, both schizophrenia and affective disorder has evident neurocognitive deficit.