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Role of processing speed and depressed mood on encoding, storage, and retrieval memory functions in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2006

GILDAS BRÉBION
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom Cognitive Psychopathology Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
ANTHONY S. DAVID
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
RODRIGO A. BRESSAN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
LYN S. PILOWSKY
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom

Abstract

The role of various types of slowing of processing speed, as well as the role of depressed mood, on each stage of verbal memory functioning in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia was investigated. Mixed lists of high- and low-frequency words were presented, and immediate and delayed free recall and recognition were required. Two levels of encoding were studied by contrasting the relatively automatic encoding of the high-frequency words and the more effortful encoding of the low-frequency words. Storage was studied by contrasting immediate and delayed recall. Retrieval was studied by contrasting free recall and recognition. Three tests of motor and cognitive processing speed were administered as well. Regression analyses involving the three processing speed measures revealed that cognitive speed was the only predictor of the recall and recognition of the low-frequency words. Furthermore, slowing in cognitive speed accounted for the deficit in recall and recognition of the low-frequency words relative to a healthy control group. Depressed mood was significantly associated with recognition of the low-frequency words. Neither processing speed nor depressed mood was associated with storage efficiency. It is concluded that both cognitive speed slowing and depressed mood impact on effortful encoding processes. (JINS, 2007, 13, 99–107.)

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2007 The International Neuropsychological Society

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