| Research Abstract |
Patients with schizophrenia exhibit a decline in a range of cognitive domains, e.g. several types of memory, executive function, verbal fluency, and attention/information processing. There is ample evidence for associations between social functioning/community outcome and cognitive disturbances, as evaluated by neuropsychological tests. Functional changes in the brain are thought to underlie impaired cognitive performance in schizophrenia. We have reported that electrophysiological biomarkers, such as event-related potentials (e.g. P300, mismatch negativity), provide objective indices of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, and be sensitive to drug-induced changes.
The role for serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtypes in cognitive function has attracted interest, based, partly, on the distinct clinical profiles of second generation (atypical) antipsychotic drugs. We have reported that psychotropic drugs with high affinity for 5-HT_<1A> receptors improve verbal memory, executive function, and attention/information processing, as well as QOL, and enhance P300 current density in the prefrontal cortex of subjects with schizophrenia. These findings are likely to facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies to improve long-term outcome in people with schizophrenia.
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