European Psychiatry - Volume 41 - April 2017

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S190 25th European Congress of Psychiatry / European Psychiatry 41S (2017) S170–S237
SD). Our data confirms that patients in the first episode of psychosis
present deficits in all cognitive domains. A more rigorous and thor-
ough examination of specific subcomponents of cognitive abilities
may be necessary in order to examine possible contributing factors
as to specify the exact nature of cognitive deficits in first episode of
psychosis.
Disclosure of interest The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.
EW0247
A longitudinal evaluation of cognitive
deficits in patients with first episode
of psychosis
A. Dardagani ∗, P. Athanasis , A. Lagoudis , A. Ramnalis ,
E. Ntouros , V. Bozikas
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1st Psychiatric Clinic–GH
Papageorgiou, Thessaloniki, Greece
∗ Corresponding author.
It has been well documented in many studies till now that patients
in their first episode of psychosis demonstrate cognitive deficits.
However, it is yet to be made clear how these deficits progress.
Deterioration, stability or even amelioration in some domains
has been noted from researchers. The aim of this study was to
examine the longitudinal course of cognitive deficits over time.
We administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychologi-
cal test to a group of first psychotic episode patients at the
acute phase, 6months and 1 year later. The sample comprised of
25 patients (13 male) in the first episode of psychosis. Specific
tests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery
(CANTAB) were used. The cognitive domains of attention, memory,
workingmemory, visuospatial ability and planning, mental flexibil-
ity/shifting were examined. Repeated measures ANOVA was used
in order to detect changes in the patients’ performance over time.
According to our data, there was an improvement from baseline
to 6months in attention, planning and visual working memory.
There was no change in performance in these cognitive domains
from 6months to 1 year from baseline. Memory, mental flexibil-
ity/shifting and visuospatial memory remained stable over time.
Our data suggest variability concerning neuropsychological per-
formance in specific tests examining different domains. Evaluation
of cognitive function in the first episode of psychosis needs more
thorough and comprehensive research, in relation to its course over
time.
Disclosure of interest The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.
EW0248
The relationship of emotion
recognition with neuropsychological
performance in patients with first
episode psychosis
A. Dardagani ∗ andi , S. Tsotsi , M. Nazou , A. Lagoudis ,
V.P. Bozikas
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1st Psychiatric Clinic, GH
Papageorgiou, Thessaloniki, Greece
∗ Corresponding author.
The relationship between neuropsychological dysfunction and
emotion perception has been frequently noted in various studies.
Attention, for example, has been found to play an important role
in emotion processing and recognition. Not many studies though,
have examined this relationship in first psychotic episode patients.
The aim of the present study was to explore the nature of the
relation between performance in cognitive tests and a test that
measures emotion perception. In a sample of 46 first psychotic
episode patients (22 male), we administered a comprehensive
battery of neuropsychological non-verbal tests and an emotion
recognition test. The cognitive domains of attention, memory,
working memory, visuospatial ability and executive function were
examined, by using specific tests of the Cambridge Neuropsychol-
ogical Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). The emotion recognition
assessment comprised a newtest that includes 35 coloured pictures
of individuals expressing six basic emotions (happiness, sadness,
anger, disgust, surprise, fear) and a neutral emotion. We used par-
tial correlation–controlling for the effect of age–and we found a
statistically significant relationship between emotion recognition
and overall cognitive performance. More specifically, attention,
visual memory and visuospatial ability positively correlated with
emotion recognition. In regard to specific cognitive domains, atten-
tion positively correlated with anger and fear, whereas visual
memory correlatedwith happiness and fear. In conclusion, it seems
that the role of underlying visual processes in emotion percep-
tion has to be further examined and evaluated in this group of
patients.
Disclosure of interest The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.
EW0249
No effect of cognitive performance on
post-intervention improvement in
emotion recognition
V.P. Bozikas ∗, S. Tsotsi , A. Dardagani , E. Dandi ,
E.I. Nazlidou , G. Garyfallos
1 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1st Psychiatric Clinic–GH
Papageorgiou, Thessaloniki, Greece
2 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2nd Psychiatric Clinic,
Thessaloniki, Greece
∗ Corresponding author.
Deficits in emotion perception in patients with first episode of psy-
chosis have been reported by many researchers. Till now, training
programs have focused mainly in patients with schizophrenia and
not in first psychotic episode (FEP) patients. We used a new inter-
vention for facial affect recognition in a group of 35 FEP patients
(26 male). The emotion recognition intervention included coloured
pictures of individuals expressing six basic emotions (happiness,
sadness, anger, disgust, surprise, fear) and a neutral emotion. The
patients were trained to detect changes in facial features, according
to the emotion displayed. A comprehensive battery of neuro-
psychological tests was also administered, measuring attention,
memory, workingmemory, visuospatial ability and executive func-
tion by using specific tests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological
Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). We tried to explore whether
cognitive performance can explain the difference noted between
the original assessment of emotion recognition and the post-
intervention assessment. According to our data, overall cognitive
performance did not correlate with post-intervention change in
emotion recognition. Specific cognitive domains did not correlate
with this change, either. According the abovementioned results, no
significant correlation between neuropsychological performance
and post-intervention improvement in emotion recognition was
noted. This finding may suggest that interventions for emotion
recognition may target specific processes that underlie emotion
perception and their effect can be independent of general cognitive
function.
Disclosure of interest The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.