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Multiple Perspectives on Cognition in Schizophrenia

Cognition in schizophrenia is a topic of major importance and steadily increasing interest. As evidence of this fact, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Conference on cognition in schizophrenia has had increased attendance at each of its six meetings over the last 10 years. These meetings are official satellites of the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, a meeting that has had skyrocketing attendance figures over the last decade. The articles in this issue of CNS Spectrum are among those presented at the latest Mount Sinai meeting, in April of 2003 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. One of the factors that has lead to the increased interest in cognition is a clearer appreciation of the functional relevance of cognitive impairments. Since functional deficits are a major source of the indirect cost of schizophrenia and a major source of the reductions in quality of life seen in schizophrenia, which are substantial, cognition has the potential to be a major point of intervention. In addition to “purely cognitive” impairments, patients with schizophrenia have deficits in what is typically referred to as “social cognition” as well. This ability area is defined as the ability to understand social cues and affective displays. It may serve as a critical intermediate function that mediates the performance of socially skilled acts.