Wisconsin card sorting test and backward masking task in patients with acute-episode schizophrenia

Objective To explore the executive and attentional function of acute-episode patients with schizophrenia.Methods A total of 55 patients with schizophrenia and 60 normal controls were assessed with Wisconsin Card Sorting test(WCST) and Backward Masking Test(BMT) to study executive and attentional function.All the patients were drug-free.Results Compared with the controls(total trials=64.13 24.09,perseverative errors=19.25±11.65,random errors=19.88±15.67,categories=5.00±0.00,correct trials=25.00±0.00),total trials,perseverative errors and random errors(93.36±24.30,29.42±20.79 and 41.09±25.78,respectively)in patients were significantly higher,categories and correct trials(4.60±1.14 and 23.31±5.16,respectively)were significantly lower(all P0.05).The patients exhibited significantly poorer performance in BMT(22.73±14.15) than controls(37.98±9.54).No significant relationship between perseverative errors of WCST and BMT was observed(r=-0.113,P0.05).Conclusion Patients with schizophrenia may have executive and attentional dysfunction,while no relationship between the two impairments is observed.