Review of cognition and brain structure in schizophrenia: profiles, longitudinal course, and effects of treatment

Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic mental illness that presents with neurocognitive and neuroanatomic abnormalities. This article briefly reviews the literature on the neurocognitive and neuroanatomic profiles of individuals with schizophrenia and addresses the issue of whether these performance deficits and structural abnormalities are stable across the course of the illness. Finally, the article discusses the effects of psychopharmacology on the neurocognitive deficits seen in patients with schizophrenia, examining the effects of conventional and atypical antipsychotics.