Visual imagery imitation skills and cognitive functions in patients with Schizophrenia.
Makoto Tanaka, Takao Osanai, Takuhiko Kato and 2 others
PMID 35847190WHAT IT FOUND
In 33 adults with schizophrenia, poorer imitation was linked to longer illness, lower daily functioning, and slower mental rotation of visual images.
This does not show that any teaching change improves imitation.
Key findings
01The median imitation score was 10.0, and three participants achieved full scores.
02Poorer imitation was associated with longer illness, lower functioning, and slower mental rotation time, and these factors were selected as predictors of imitation score.
03All BACS-J items except motor speed showed severe cognitive impairment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study included 33 participants, so the associations may be unstable. It was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether illness duration, functioning, or visual mental rotation caused poor imitation. The sample was older and chronic, with mean age 59.2 years and mean illness duration 34.8 years, so results may not apply to younger or recently diagnosed patients. All participants were clinically stable and recruited from one hospital setting, so findings may not apply to acutely unwell patients or other services. The authors used the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia as a relatively crude measure of cognitive functioning. The study did not test any intervention, so it cannot show that a teaching change improves imitation.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that visual mental rotation problems cause poor imitation, or that starting with same-direction teaching will improve imitation. This was a cross-sectional study of 33 patients, and it showed associations only.