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Free keywords:
Directed forgetting; Inhibition; Memory; Prefrontal; Schizophrenia
Abstract:
Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive deficits in the domains of working memory, strategic memory and other executive functions. In the current study we used a computerised and item–cued variant of the directed forgetting (DF) task to assess inhibitory processes in verbal memory. Twenty–five patients with schizophrenia and a group of matched controls were tested. Recognition memory was better for to–be–remembered (TBR) than for to–be–forgotten (TBF) words in both patients and controls. As compared to healthy controls the patients with schizophrenia showed overall memory deficits and difficulties to inhibit memories as indicated by a significant group by cue interaction and a smaller DF effect. The DF effect was associated with disease duration but not with symptom severity. Memoryrelated inhibition problems are difficult to assess in patients with schizophrenia and might be related to fronto–temporal disconnection.
