Neurocognitive functions in schizophrenia: narrative review of cultural-historical versus domain concepts.

This article reviews and compares Russian and international approaches to assessing neurocognitive impairments in schizophrenia, focusing on functions such as thinking, memory, and attention. The Russian approach, grounded in cultural-historical and system theories by Vygotsky and Luria, emphasizes qualitative analysis of impaired elements within complex cognitive functions and identifies core deficits including decreased motivation, impaired social orientation, and specific thought disorders. In contrast, the international approach relies on standardized psychometric methods for quantitative evaluation of cognitive deficits. Studies integrating both approaches suggest that neurocognitive impairments in schizophrenia are dynamic, interconnected rather than isolated, and vary with disease course rather than symptom severity alone. Combining these methodologies, potentially through network analysis, may enhance diagnosis, relapse prevention, and treatment evaluation by capturing the complexity and systemic nature of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia.