Neurocognitive performance of elderly patients with non-affective psychosis – a meta-analysis

• Applicants: Dr. Jonathan Henssler; Dr. Sandra Anna Just
• Subject Area: Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 543993629

We aim to conduct a meta-analysis on the neurocognitive performance of elderly patients with non-affective psychosis – a neglected population in research, especially those older than 65 years. Neurocognitive deficits are a core symptom in psychotic disorders, can already occur in adolescence and largely influence prognosis and functioning. Neurocognitive impairment appears to be the mediator between pathophysiology and genetics on the one hand and psychopathology of schizophrenia on the other, especially affecting attention, explicit and working memory, executive functioning and verbal fluency. There is, however, ongoing debate and insufficient consensus on the temporal course of cognitive impairments in psychotic disorders over the life span. Previous studies and meta-analyses yielded conflicting results: while some found neurocognitive deficits to remain stable over time, these studies rarely included very old patients. Findings of single studies pointed towards an increased decline of neurocognitive functioning in psychosis patients compared with healthy controls through adulthood and older age, but differences did not reach statistical significance. Meta-analyses are useful in cases such as this one, where conflicting results and several individual findings with trends but without sufficient statistical certainty are making the actual evidence base very difficult to grasp. Here, a systematic search for and inclusion of all available research findings and an objective qualitative and quantitative evaluation are imperative. Since publication of the last meta-analysis on the topic by Irani et al. (2011), entailing a literature search up to 2008, many new significant studies examining the neurocognitive abilities of elderly patients with non-affective psychosis, especially including those of old age, have been published. Our project therefore aims to conduct the most updated systematic review and meta-analysis on neurocognitive performance and its change with increasing age in non-affective psychosis compared with healthy controls.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Cooperation Partner: Privatdozent Martin Müller, Ph.D.
• Co-Investigator: Privatdozentin Dr. Eva Döring-Brandl