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Comparison of pragmatic and cognitive functioning in adolescents with childhood onset schizophrenia and Asperger syndrome: common and differential patterns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

E. Le Gall
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive et Sociale (LPCS, EA 1189), Université de Nice - Sophia Antipolis Centre Ressources Autisme, Service de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, CHU -Lenval, Hôpitaux Pédiatriques de Nice, Nice, France
G. Iakimova
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive et Sociale (LPCS, EA 1189), Université de Nice - Sophia Antipolis
S. Serret
Affiliation:
Centre Ressources Autisme, Service de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, CHU -Lenval, Hôpitaux Pédiatriques de Nice, Nice, France
F. Askenazy
Affiliation:
Centre Ressources Autisme, Service de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, CHU -Lenval, Hôpitaux Pédiatriques de Nice, Nice, France

Abstract

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Introduction

Adolescents with childhood onset schizophrenia (COS) and adolescents with Asperger syndrome (AS) are characterized by impairments in pragmatics and in cognition.

Objectives

The study of the specificity of pragmatic and cognitive deficits in COS and in AS is important to highlight some fundamental areas to each disorder and to refine behavioural phenotypes which may provide a link to gene-brain-behaviour.

Aims

The present study directly compares the pragmatic and cognitive functions in adolescents with COS and AS.

Methods

Twelve adolescents with COS and 14 adolescents with AS, matched on general IQ, verbal IQ and performance IQ, were compared. Pragmatics was explored by the Children's Communication Checklist, a parental report of language and communication in naturalistic context. Cognition was explored by Wechsler Intelligence Scale and by several specific tasks: Theory of Mind (ToM), Figurative Language Comprehension, executive functions (WCST), mental flexibility and working memory (TMT) and inhibition (Stroop).

Results

Compared to adolescents with COS, adolescents with AS exhibited more severe pragmatic impairments in naturalistic context and had more reduced figurative comprehension. In contrast, compared to AS, adolescents with COS exhibited impaired inhibition and deficit in verbal reasoning (subtest “Similarities” of the Wechsler). Both groups had similar results on ToM, WCST and TMT tasks, and on the all other Wechsler’s subtests.

Conclusions

Despite some similarities, adolescents with AS and with COS differed when pragmatics was evaluated in naturalistic context. Cognitive impairments observed in inhibition and in verbal reasoning may be specifically related to thought disorder, a core feature of schizophrenia.

Type
P03-262
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2011
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