Cognitive deficits have been recognized as a central feature of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. These deficits are often related to more severe negative symptoms, as well as a poorer adjustment in social functioning. Therefore, it is important to improve cognitive performance from the onset of the disease. In this study, we compared the effects of two atypical antipsychotics, risperidone and aripiprazole, on cognition. The data used in the present investigation were obtained from a large epidemiological cohort of patients with a first episode of psychosis who were treated in a longitudinal intervention programme. The patients included in the program were randomized to treatment with risperidone or aripiprazole and were assessed for cognitive function at baseline and 3 years later. The final sample consisted of 115 patients, 55 of whom were initially assigned to risperidone and 60 to aripiprazole. The groups did not show significant differences in their sociodemographic or clinical characteristics at intake. Longitudinal analyses showed that risperidone-treated patients improved in the processing speed domain at the 3-year follow-up, while the aripiprazole group showed better scores for the executive function domain. Our study shows slight differences between the effects of risperidone and aripiprazole on cognition, suggesting different patterns of efficacy on cognitive function that may warrant more thorough research to determine the beneficial effects of these drugs on cognition. Future studies should evaluate the effects of these treatments over longer follow-up periods using standardized tools for the assessment of cognitive function.

认知缺陷已被认为是精神分裂症谱系障碍的核心特征。这些缺陷通常与更严重的负面症状以及社会功能的较差调整有关。因此，从疾病发作开始就提高认知能力非常重要。在这项研究中，我们比较了两种非典型抗精神病药利培酮和阿立哌唑对认知的影响。本调查中使用的数据来自一个大型流行病学队列，该队列由在纵向干预计划中接受治疗的首发精神病患者组成。纳入该计划的患者被随机分配接受利培酮或阿立哌唑治疗，并在基线和 3 年后评估认知功能。最终样本由 115 名患者组成，其中 55 人最初分配给利培酮，60 人分配给阿立哌唑。各组在摄入时的社会人口学或临床特征没有显着差异。纵向分析显示，接受利培酮治疗的患者在 3 年的随访中在处理速度方面有所改善，而阿立哌唑组在执行功能方面的得分更高。我们的研究显示利培酮和阿立哌唑对认知的影响略有不同，表明对认知功能的不同功效模式可能需要更深入的研究来确定这些药物对认知的有益影响。未来的研究应使用标准化工具评估这些治疗在较长随访期内的效果，以评估认知功能。