Schizophrenia Bulletin Advance Access originally published online on May 10, 2006
Schizophrenia Bulletin 2006 32(3):486-488; doi:10.1093/schbul/sbj074
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.
Introduction to Special Theme Issue
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
The last 2 decades have witnessed a relative explosion of research on cognition in schizophrenia, using a variety of approaches that range from the use of large neuropsychological batteries to focused cognitive experimental techniques. There are several reasons for this surge of research on cognitive function in schizophrenia. One reason is the growing body of research suggesting that cognitive function in schizophrenia is one of the most critical determinants of quality of life in schizophrenia, potentially more so than the severity of other aspects/symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations, delusions, or even negative symptoms.1 A second reason is the hope that understanding the nature of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia will give us insight into the neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to the development of this disorder, spurred by the advances made in understanding the neural mechanisms supporting intact cognitive function. A third reason is the hope that cognitive deficits will
1To whom correspondence should be addressed; e-mail: dbarch@artsci.wustl.edu