Despite all research that has been devoted to schizophrenia over the last years, the understanding of the biological bases of the disorder is still fragmentary. Adding to the complexity is the realization that basic cognitive functions are seriously distorted, and that removal of symptoms does not necessarily ameliorate the cognitive deficits. It has also been shown that cognitive deficits can occur before clinical symptoms, in a prodromal phase of the disorder, pointing to a possible causal relationship between cognitive deficits and outbreak of the disorder. However, it is still not possible to diagnose a patient from cognitive deficits alone, or from a combination of clinical symptoms and cognitive deficits, and structural and functional neuroimaging data, although promising, have also not found the way to routine clinical practice. The aim of the Research Topic is therefore to provide an update on research on cognitive and brain imaging research for the understanding of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. The suggested contributors are all internationally recognized experts in their respective fields. The suggested contributions will cover the field from the use of standardized neuropsychological tests to establish cognitive response profiles in patients with schizophrenia to the use of advanced new techniques for the analysis of brain imaging data.
Despite all research that has been devoted to schizophrenia over the last years, the understanding of the biological bases of the disorder is still fragmentary. Adding to the complexity is the realization that basic cognitive functions are seriously distorted, and that removal of symptoms does not necessarily ameliorate the cognitive deficits. It has also been shown that cognitive deficits can occur before clinical symptoms, in a prodromal phase of the disorder, pointing to a possible causal relationship between cognitive deficits and outbreak of the disorder. However, it is still not possible to diagnose a patient from cognitive deficits alone, or from a combination of clinical symptoms and cognitive deficits, and structural and functional neuroimaging data, although promising, have also not found the way to routine clinical practice. The aim of the Research Topic is therefore to provide an update on research on cognitive and brain imaging research for the understanding of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. The suggested contributors are all internationally recognized experts in their respective fields. The suggested contributions will cover the field from the use of standardized neuropsychological tests to establish cognitive response profiles in patients with schizophrenia to the use of advanced new techniques for the analysis of brain imaging data.