Cognitive Function. In comparison to people without
schizophrenia, older adults whoíve been diagnosed with
the disease tend to have more difficulty learning new
information and performing executive functions, such as
long-term planning or interpretation of abstract concepts.
The cognitive performance of most older adults with schizophrenia
tends to remain stable over time; however, a
small group of patients who are older, at lower educational
levels, and have more severe positive symptoms seem to
experience a decline in cognitive and functional status.6