Perceptual organization and its relationship to functioning in patients with chronic schizophrenia

Objective To examine the associations between perceptual organization (PO), other neurocognitive domains, and general functioning in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Method PO was assessed using the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) fragmentation score, and a battery of neurocognitive tests was administered to 53 clinically stable patients with chronic schizophrenia. Correlation and exploratory factor analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between PO and other neurocognitive domains. Correlation, partial correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations between cognitive variables and general functioning, measured by the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score. Results In the exploratory factor analysis, the ROCF fragmentation score was significantly correlated with the ROCF copy score and loaded on the same factor as the ROCF copy, Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), and Stroop test scores. Both ROCF fragmentation and AVLT scores were positively correlated with the GAF score. However, after adjusting for overall psychiatric severity, as measured by the Clinical Global Impression–Overall score, only the ROCF fragmentation score remained significantly associated with functioning in the partial correlation and multiple linear regression analyses. Conclusions PO, as measured by the ROCF fragmentation score, is associated with general functioning in patients with chronic schizophrenia and may partly explain the variability in functioning among patients.