J Korean Med Sci.  2010 Feb;25(2):276-282. 10.3346/jkms.2010.25.2.276.

Factor Structure of the Neurocognitive Tests: An Application of the Confirmative Factor Analysis in Stabilized Schizophrenia Patients

• Noh J
• Kim JH
• Hong KS
• Kim N
• Nam HJ
• Lee D
• Yoon SC

• KMID: 1779260
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2010.25.2.276

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to identify the factor structure of neurocognitive tests used on schizophrenia patients by using the confirmative factor analysis, and to assess the factor score differences of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Comprehensive neurocognitive tests were administered to stabilized schizophrenia patients (N=114) and healthy controls (N=120). In the results of factor analyses on patients, the multifactorial-6-factor model, which included the speed of processing, working memory, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, attention/vigilance, and reasoning/problem solving as suggested by the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS), showed the better goodness of fit than any of the other models tested. And assessing the group differences of factor scores, we found the patients performed worse than the controls in all factors, but the result showed meaningful variations of impairments across the cognitive factors. Our study identifies the six major domains with multifactorial structure of cognitive abilities in schizophrenia patients and confirms the distinctive impairment patterns of each cognitive domain. These results may have utility in better understanding the pathology of schizophrenia as well as in genetic studies.

Keyword

Confirmative Factor Analysis; Neurocognitive Test; Schizophrenia; Cognition

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Attention
Cognition Disorders/etiology
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Male
Memory
Middle Aged
Models, Psychological
Neuropsychological Tests
Problem Solving
Schizophrenia/*diagnosis/etiology
Severity of Illness Index
Verbal Behavior
Verbal Learning

Figure

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  Fig. 1 6-factor models recommend by MATRICS and alternative models.

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  Fig. 2 Representation of the hierarchical and multifactorial models.

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