Cognitive Symptoms same as Schizophrenia?

[imoa]

The negative symptoms of schizophrenia include blunting of affect; poverty of speech and thought; apathy; ahedonia; reduced social drive; loss of motivation; lack of social interest and inattention to social or cognitive input according to Google.

What do people make of this and are any similar to the cognitive symptoms of Ataxia that they experience?

[HarryB Administrator]

Hi imoa

The negative symptoms of schizophrenia have a different origin completely to the cognitive symptoms associated with ataxia. There is no relation between the two at all.

Best wishes

Harriet

[imoa in reply to HarryB]

What are the cognitive symptoms of ataxia? I am curious.

[HarryB Administrator in reply to imoa]

Hi

There is emerging research to suggest that patients with genetic ataxia are at risk of cognitive impairment, as with most patients with other neurological conditions. However, relatively little research has been conducted so far in trying to determine the specific cognitive impairments in ataxia. Ataxia is a symptom of a number of conditions, and it may be possible that the different genetic mutations as well as the extent of degeneration underlying the different conditions may lead to different patterns of deficits.

Research in Friedreich’s ataxia and various different types of spinocerebellar ataxia suggest some impairments in executive skills, attention, memory, speed of information processing and, possibly only in some types of spinocerebellar ataxia, social cognition. In this instance, social cognition refers to ‘the ability to attribute mental states to others and understand that the beliefs and knowledge of others may be different from your own, as well as to the ability to recognize different emotions in others. There is a lack of homogeneity within the conditions; thus, patients with certain subtypes of spinocerebellar ataxia may be more impaired cognitively. Equally there may be no cognitive impairment at all. Each person must be assessed individually.

I note from a previous post of yours that your ataxia is as a result of a stroke. You may find the following link helpful-

stroke.org.uk/resources/com...

Best wishes

Harriet

[imoa in reply to HarryB]

Thank you for your comprehensive reply.