Affiliations: Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge,
Hills Road, Cambridge, UK | Cambridge Psychiatric Rehabilitation Service, Fulbourn
Hospital, Cambridge, UK
Note: [] National South Hanamaki Hospital, Suwa 500, Hanamaki, Iwate,
Japan 025-0033. Tel.: +81 198 24 0511; Fax: +81 198 24 1721; E-mail: mhi202@
shanamaki.hosp.go.jp
Abstract: This study tested the hypothesis that the dysexecutive syndrome of
schizophrenia is impervious to cultural differences. 18 Japanese and 22 British
patients and 14 Japanese and 19 British control subjects were compared on the
BADS (Behavioural Assessment of Dysexecutive Syndrome), a comprehensive
neuropsychological assessment battery, designed for `ecological validity', and
other measures of frontal executive functions (EFs). Both cultural groups of
schizophrenic patients showed equally severe impairment in most executive tests
including the BADS (verbal fluency and intelligence were less impaired).
Irrespective of cultural origin, similar neuropsychological deficits were found
in patients with minimal intellectual deterioration. Our study suggests that
socio-cultural background does not affect the dysexecutive profile of
schizophrenia very much, and that neuropsychological assessment may possibly
provide added clinical information relevant to the management and
rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients across different cultures.
Keywords: cognitive dysfunction, dysexecutive syndrome, cross-cultural study, Japanese
