According to new research, cognitive impairments in psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are linked to brain network organization. This link between cognition and brain networks is present in individuals considered at-risk for psychotic disorders even prior to their first psychotic break. This groundbreaking study in Biological Psychiatry , published by Elsevier, suggests an opportunity for early diagnosis and intervention for these treatment-resistant symptoms.
Lead author Heather Burrell Ward, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, explains, "Cognitive impairment is highly prevalent in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. There are currently no medications to treat cognitive impairment, resulting in significant disability. This impairment is frequently present by the time an individual has their first psychotic break, making early detection and intervention critical.
Our current study is part of our work to understand and treat the medication-resistant symptoms of psychotic disorders." Several cognitive domains found to be reliably impaired in psychotic disorders have received intensive study, such as overall cognitive ability. To measure cognitive impairment in psychosis, most studies have utilized cognitive tasks originally designed and validated in control populations.
However, these studies do not address the question of whether cognitive constructs map onto quantifiable brain subst.