FREQUENCY AND ASSOCIATION OF COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN PAKISTAN

OBJECTIVETo assess the frequency of cognitive impairment and sociodemographic association among patients with schizophrenia presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.STUDY DESIGNDescriptive cross-sectional studyPLACE AND DURATION OF STUDYOutpatient Department of Psychiatry at Dr Ruth K.M. Pfau. Civil Hospital Karachi, Pakistan. The duration of the study was 6 months from February 6, 2020, to August 5, 2020. METHODOne hundred thirty patients with schizophrenia were assessed using the Urdu version of Montreal cognitive assessment questionnaire. RESULTSout of the 100 patients, 66 had significant cognitive impairment accounting for more than half of the study population at 50.8%. Age, duration of illness and gender showed significant association with cognitive dysfunction in these patients. CONCLUSIONCognitive dysfunction is a frequent finding in patients with schizophrenia. Future research is needed to investigate the factors increasing its risk.KEYWORDSCognition; Memory; Outpatients; Pakistan; Schizophrenia; Tertiary Care Centres.