Executive Dysfunction among Children with Antipsychotic Treated Schizophrenia

Objective: To investigate the executive function among adolescents with antipsychotic treated schizophrenia in Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta. Methods: This was a cross sectional study with control group. Case was defined as adolescents with antipsychotic treated schizophrenia without any mental retardation or other physical illnesses (n=45). The control group consisted of healthy and age matched adolescents (n=135). Executive function is determined by using Indonesian version of Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF Indonesian version). We used SPSS 16,0 program for windows to calculate the prevalence risk ratio (PRR) and set up the rho value <0.05. Results: Mean of age was 16.27 (standard deviation 1.86) year old. Most of the case group (95%) has been treated with atypical antipsychotic such as risperidone, aripipripazole, olanzapine, and clozapine. Duration of having antipsychotic medication was ranged from one to 36 months. Adolescents with antipsychotic treated schizophrenia had higher BRIEF T-score, except for inhibit scale, shift scale and behavior regulation index. The prevalence risk ratio on several clinical scales were higher in children with antipsychotic treated schizophrenia compared to control group, such as on emotional state (PRR=7.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.38-23.15), initiate scale (PRR=6.32, 95% CI=2.51-15.95), monitor scale (PRR=8.11, 95% CI=2.0-32.86), and behavior regulation index (PRR=4.09, 95% CI=1.05-15.98). Conclusion: In general, the results showed that adolescents with atypical antipsychotic treated schizophrenia had higher BRIEF T-score compared, and comparable with their normal group control.