COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN CHRONIC-SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS WITH TARDIVE-DYSKINESIA

Two groups of chronic stable schizophrenics matched on several parameters but differing only with respect to presence or absence of tardive dyskinesia (TD) were compared for cognitive function using the Bexley Maudsley Automated Psychological Screen and the Category Sorting Test. The results showed that although all schizophrenics performed poorly on the psychometric tests in this inventory, there was no difference between the two groups for any of the cognitive functions tested. Stepwise multiple regression analysis performed on patients with TD revealed that age and extrapyramidal symptom (EPS) score were the only variables consistently associated with oro-facial TD where as EPS correlated inversely with TD of limbs and trunk. Our results did not support the hypothesis that tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenic patients is associated with additional or specific cognitive dysfunction.