An exploratory analysis of neurocognition in methamphetamine-induced psychotic disorder and paranoid schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE

This exploratory study compared the neurocognitive performances of individuals with methamphetamine-induced psychotic disorder (MA psychosis) and paranoid schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND

MA psychosis presents very similarly to paranoid schizophrenia and the relationship between the 2 disorders is not well-understood. Neurocognitive functioning is one potential factor for comparison, as deficits are documented in both schizophrenia and methamphetamine dependence.

METHOD: Participants were selected through chart review. Neurocognitive test scores for participants with paranoid schizophrenia (n=20) and MA psychosis (n=19) were obtained from hospital records and compared.

RESULTS

Results of multivariate analysis of variance found no significant differences between the groups in any neurocognitive domain.

CONCLUSIONS

These preliminary findings suggest that similarities between the disorders may extend to neurocognition. Low power and sampling limitations may contribute to the null findings.