ABSTRACT

Objective : To investigate the relationship of Allen Cognitive Level with the cognitive abilities and psychosocial factors of people with schizophrenia.Methods : Thirty patients with schizophrenia were evaluated using the following tests: an Allen Cognitive Level Screen (ACLS), Verbal Learning Test, Word-Color Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Self-Esteem Scale, Relationship Change Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Social Problem Solving Inventory, and PANSS.Results : The ACLS showed a strong relationship with age, education, and duration of illness. However, the ACLS did not show a strong relationship with psychosocial characteristics with the exception of cognitive scale, which is a measurement of Social Problem Solving Inventory. With respect to the other tests, the Verbal Learning Test, Word-Color Test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test showed a strong relationship with the ACLS, but PANSS did not.Conclusion : From an analysis of this study, demographic variables such as age, education, and duration of illness should be considered when administering an ACLS to patients with schizophrenia. However, the ACLS does not appear to have a relationship with the symptoms and psychosocial characteristics of schizophrenia. In addition, the usefulness of the ACLS as a valid measure of the cognitive inabilities of schizophrenia is further supported by its relationship with neurocognitive function tests including the Verbal Learning Test, Word-Color Test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.