Neuroactive research among people with schizophrenia maycontribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of
schizophrenia, and also support the improvement of treatment.
Such improvement would probably contribute not only to cognitive
performance, but also to the quality of life of people suffering from
this complex illness [17]. A 2000 meta-analysis of studies in the field of
neurocognitive functions in schizophrenia examined the relationship
between functions and the functional outcomes among the patients:
community and routine activities, social problem solving and the
acquisition of psychosocial skills. The results showed that between
20% and 60% of the variance in the functioning of the patients could
be explained by general neurocognitive functioning. Examination
of specific areas revealed that delayed memory was related to and
predicted all the areas of functioning examined, and functioning in
immediate memory tasks was a predictor of the patients’ psychosocial
functioning. Verbal fluency was found to predict the functioning of
the patients in routine tasks in the community [22]. In a more recent
study, the researchers examined the relationship between verbal
memory, processing speed, negative symptoms, and the ability to
function in schizophrenia. The results indicated that verbal memory,
processing speed, and negative symptoms contributed significantly to
the functional ability of the patients [23].