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Schizophrenia is a cognitive illness: time for a change in focus.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kahn, RS; Keefe, RSE
Published in: JAMA Psychiatry
October 2013

Schizophrenia is currently classified as a psychotic disorder. This article posits that this emphasis on psychosis is a conceptual fallacy that has greatly contributed to the lack of progress in our understanding of this illness and hence has hampered the development of adequate treatments. Not only have cognitive and intellectual underperformance consistently been shown to be risk factors for schizophrenia, several studies have found that a decline in cognitive functioning precedes the onset of psychosis by almost a decade. Although the question of whether cognitive function continues to decline after psychosis onset is still debated, it is clear that cognitive function in schizophrenia is related to outcome and little influenced by antipsychotic treatment. Thus, our focus on defining (and preventing) the disorder on the basis of psychotic symptoms may be too narrow. Not only should cognition be recognized as the core component of the disorder, our diagnostic efforts should emphasize the changes in cognitive function that occur earlier in development. Putting the focus back on cognition may facilitate finding treatments for the illness before psychosis ever emerges.

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Published In

JAMA Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

2168-6238

Publication Date

October 2013

Volume

70

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1107 / 1112

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Schizophrenic Psychology
  • Schizophrenia
  • Risk Factors
  • Prodromal Symptoms
  • Humans
  • Cognition Disorders
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
 

Citation

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Kahn, R. S., & Keefe, R. S. E. (2013). Schizophrenia is a cognitive illness: time for a change in focus. JAMA Psychiatry, 70(10), 1107–1112. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.155
Kahn, René S., and Richard S. E. Keefe. “Schizophrenia is a cognitive illness: time for a change in focus.JAMA Psychiatry 70, no. 10 (October 2013): 1107–12. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.155.
Kahn RS, Keefe RSE. Schizophrenia is a cognitive illness: time for a change in focus. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013 Oct;70(10):1107–12.
Kahn, René S., and Richard S. E. Keefe. “Schizophrenia is a cognitive illness: time for a change in focus.JAMA Psychiatry, vol. 70, no. 10, Oct. 2013, pp. 1107–12. Pubmed, doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.155.
Kahn RS, Keefe RSE. Schizophrenia is a cognitive illness: time for a change in focus. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013 Oct;70(10):1107–1112.

Published In

JAMA Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

2168-6238

Publication Date

October 2013

Volume

70

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1107 / 1112

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Schizophrenic Psychology
  • Schizophrenia
  • Risk Factors
  • Prodromal Symptoms
  • Humans
  • Cognition Disorders
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology