This study examined the cognitive functioning of 10 treatment-resistant
schizophrenic patients after a minimum of a 1-year trial on clozapine.
Results indicated significant improvements on prorated Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) Full Scale, Verbal, and Performance IQs
and on the WAIS-R Similarities and Digit Symbol subtests. A trend was also
found for improvement on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. It was concluded
that clozapine treatment is associated with global cognitive improvements
in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Clozapine treatment may
also improve performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in a subset of
patients. Improvement did not appear to be related to the reduction of any
cognitive effects of the typical neuroleptics upon their
discontinuation.
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