Clinicians ’ Concepts of the Cognitive Deficits of Schizophrenia

Several compounds to improve cognition in schizophrenia are being studied in clinical trials, but little is known about how clinicians conceptualize the cognitive deficits of schizo-phrenia. In a pilot study, the author asked 40 psychiatrists 3 brief questions about the clinical presentation of cognitive deficits. Descriptions of cognitive deficits show high variabil-ity. Informants describe phenomenology like follow-through, attention,andemptinessasindicativeofcognitiveimpairment. Informants ’ concepts of cognitive deficits overlap substan-tially with positive, negative, and thought disorder symptoms. Clinicians ’ concepts are complex and contextualized, in contrast to the discrete skills measured by neuropsychol-ogical tests. Results suggest that appropriate prescribing of cognition-enhancing medications may be challenging. Key words: neurocognition/schizophrenia/prescribin